


The Secret History

by SkullFeather3063



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Attempted Murder, Dark Magic, Found Family, Long-Term Relationship(s), Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Morally Ambiguous Character, Multi, Past Relationship(s), Polyamory, Slytherin Pride, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:14:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 7
Words: 27,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22640848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkullFeather3063/pseuds/SkullFeather3063
Summary: In an attempt to escape a fate far worse than death Clytemnestra finds herself thrown back in time. In her robes a note is attached, daring her to rage against fates. Can she save them all?To go against her old master she needs an army of her own, allies, friends, and old enemies turned into reluctant confidantes. A tale of love and war that spans from Hogwarts and spreads all over Britain.Can love conquer all or is she bound to lose once more?
Relationships: Alice Longbottom/Frank Longbottom, James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Lucius Malfoy/Narcissa Black Malfoy, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 26





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> “Who can stop grief's avalanche once it starts to roll.” -Euripides 
> 
> This story is very near and dear to my heart. I am hoping that you all will enjoy it. I have few chapters written already and I will publish them slowly so that neither me nor you is overwhelmed. Please let me know of your interest. 
> 
> This is not a story of innocent love but this is a story about love in its most potent. Love of family above all. 
> 
> This story has some strong language, and perhaps triggering content. There is mention of suicide contemplation, loss of family/loved ones, torture, possible non-con/rape. These are what I can think so far. 
> 
> Please give my story a chance, and I hope you will all take as much pleasure reading this as I did writing it.

Clytemnestra sat in front of the headmaster and listened as he explained to her the nuances of her arrival into the 1970’s. She had arrived on 1st of September, unconscious and her clothes had indicated that she had been through a fight. Slytherin prefect Lucius Malfoy had carried her to the infirmary while his counterpart Gilda Yaxley had alerted the appropriate authorities.

She refused to show any emotions as she sat there like a statue. Last she closed her eyes she had intended to die. The battle of Hogwarts had been lost, her friends and her family all dead. She refused to be the plaything of her old master Lord Voldemort. However, she told none of this to Dumbledore. It seemed he had more to tell her and she would not share a single drop of information until she had everything.

Dumbledore continued to explain that she showed no physical signs of damage, not even a single bruise according to the healers. He also explained that the remaining student body expected her arrival in great anticipation. Finally, opened a drawer of his desk to pull out a piece of parchment. Silently he handed it to her and observed her reaction carefully.

Inside the parchment a note was written in meticulous handwriting, it asked Clytemnestra if she believed in second chances. She concealed her emotions very carefully, but she knew her appearance in here had not been an accident at all.

Dumbledore spoke once more but this time to ask his first question. “I suppose Miss… we should start somewhere, and your name still remains a mystery.”

Clytemnestra gave him her first name freely but paused before settling on a last name. She had been born to Potters, she had been raised as a Snape, but her heart had always belonged to the Malfoys. It seemed almost comical the way she changed names much like a snake changed her skin. In the end she settled for Zabini. Her future mother in law lived in France and she knew Blaise would be nothing short of ecstatic to hear her call herself by his name. “Clytemnestra Zabini” she finalised her answer.

Headmaster smiled at the girl to encourage her to speak more but he understood that she would offer him nothing for free. To gain her knowledge he had to have something she valued. “I assume you would like to continue your education here and I can arrange for that, but I need to know how you came to be here first.”

Her smile cut him like a knife, and he got the sense that they knew each other in another lifetime. “I can tell you my story but that is only because I am under no illusions to think that I shall not need your help. I know you Professor and that means I refuse to be one of your child soldiers, as you will soon understand your methods have failed and I do not intend to repeat those mistakes.”

Dumbledore felt his blood run cold for a moment, and he wondered what he had done to this girl to deserve such cold wrath. He took a sip of his tea to calm his nerves, then gestured for her to continue.

Clytemnestra leaned forward on her seat much like a great storyteller. “In July of 1980 I was born to Lily and James Potter along with my twin brother Harry. The prophecies of a cursed seer brought upon our ruin. Per your instructions our family went into hiding yet we were betrayed by our secret keeper, Peter Pettigrew.” She felt her hand tremor ever so slightly at the mention of his name.

Like her Dumbledore moved forward in his seat, already enthralled by the tale that was being told.

She took a calming breath before she continued. “Before you, before anyone else. Severus Snape entered our house to find the corpses of my mother and father. He paid no attention to my brother by his own admission, but he thought I looked far too much like Lily for him to abandon me so recklessly. Harry became the boy who lived under the assumption that Lord Voldemort was killed. I, on the other hand had a lovely obituary in the Prophet. If Severus is to be believed you already knew what he had done and used me and my dead mother as leverage to turn him into a spy for you. I was his to keep as long as he played as your puppet.”

He shivered by the disgust in her tone. Slowly he was understanding the direction of this story.

Clytemnestra did not spare him a thought as she continued. “He was a Professor at Hogwarts and he did not know how to be a father properly, so I spent most my years being raised by the Malfoys. Narcissa and Lucius always treated me as their own and it was them who had the courage to tell me my true heritage. I felt betrayed, angry, but none mattered as I knew I was loved more than I was hurt. Upon my eleventh birthday however, my feelings changed when I laid eyes on my brother. I desired to know him, and Draco even made an attempt to befriend him on my behalf but us being Slytherins and your desire to keep us apart did not help.”

Dumbledore took the accusation in stride and listed carefully as she started to talk about the demise of Lord Voldemort.

Clytemnestra laughed in a bitter manner. “Dead and missing are two very different conditions are they not Professor. He tried to use a Philosophers stone to come back to life. Helpless to rescue my brother I am happy to report that he had brave friends to support him through it all. Our second year started with strange instructions we received from none other than Lord Voldemort himself. Before he went missing Lord Voldemort had given his inner circle keepsakes to hide, his Horcruxes. Lucius had been told to slip one of them into a child’s hands. Through the child the chamber of secrets was opened once more, and a Basilisk was set free. By draining the life of the child, he planned to return to life, but Harry and his Ronald stopped him. Meanwhile I did my very best to help but once again there was only so much I could do. In a strange turn of events my luck changed in our third year when Harry learned about my existence. Prison escapee caused you to gather your Order and he listened in on it and confronted you in the end. I remember you covering in shame as you explained to him why you made him believe he had no family left in this world. Slowly we started to get to know each other, his friends were reluctant at first as were mine, but nothing could keep us apart anymore. Not even you. The rest of the world did not know our secret perhaps but the people who mattered the most supported us. We helped Sirius Black escape and go into hiding, unfortunately Peter had escaped also.”

Dumbledore let go of his breath, unaware of how long he had been holding it. Lives of children had been played as chess by the powers of evil and by him also. He knew the lengths he was willing to but never had he imagined he would fall from grace as he had in the future.

Clytemnestra seemed almost amused as emotions, particularly shame, crossed his face. “Triwizard tournament provided as the perfect cover to kidnap Harry and use his blood to finally bring Voldemort back. No one believed him, no one but you, me, and the Slytherins whose parents had been summoned that night. You called me to your office one night, both of alone in here, and you gave me an option. I could either be a spy or you would go after whatever family I had remaining. You threatened to put Severus in Azkaban for kidnapping, Malfoys for being accomplices after the fact and aiding and abetting, and there were just the accusations you could prove. I did as asked but I knew that day I would kill you the moment I was given the opportunity.”

He felt that familiar chill from before running down his spine and he did not doubt her words.

Clytemnestra smiled with venom dripping from her teeth. “During that summer I excelled under the tutelage of Lord Voldemort. I was the crown jewel of his collection of people, he admitted to me one night in secret, years after this that he saw himself in me and I was as close and dear to him as a child. The things I had to do would horrify you and if I wished to torture you some more, I could offer up the details, but I shall keep my secrets for a more special occasion. In our fifth year Sirius died at the hands of his deranged cousin Bellatrix. Harry blamed me for a while, and I think I did too. I adored Sirius you see and so did Narcissa. Family always meant everything to her. It broke her heart to hear the news. During that time Lucius was imprisoned as were some of our other family friends. Lord Voldemort understood loyalty and he already had a plan in place, but he had a small request of me and Draco first. He asked us to murder you and I was every so gleeful to do the deed myself. I remember that night so vividly but sadly it did cost me my brother as he saw us and did not knew that I was simply following your wishes to the end. Severus had told me so that you were already dying but I desired to do it myself. Do you understand the reason Professor?”

Dumbledore closed his eyes for a moment and let the information sink. This girl, this monster he had created. Of course, he understood why, and he blamed her none. He felt shame yet he could not hide his disgust. He just wasn’t sure who it was directed towards, himself or her.

Seeing him struggle made her smile, the horrors of the war was still fresh in her mind. The lifeless body of her brother and the unceremonious thud it made as he fell to the ground. The screams of her friends still echoed in her mind. Her dearest lover thorn to shreds trying to save the Lavender girl. He could never understand the depths of grief she was feeling at that moment and she blamed herself plenty for it but not today nor any other day she was going to give Dumbledore a pass from his actions.

He regarded her in silence, his hand too shaky to even hold his cup of tea. He listened as she continued to tell her tale. “Seventh year I had complete control over Hogwarts, Harry was on the run and Severus took your place as the headmaster. Up until last night I played as his perfect creation, his successor but once the final battle commenced, we changed sides visibly. I broke his heart and I think that was one of the reasons why he killed Severus the way he did. He made him suffer on my behalf. The war was lost, and I went back to the dungeons to die a peaceful death before he could find me.”

For the first time he picked up on her genuine emotions, the sadness that oozed from her was gone as fast as it appeared, but he knew now that she still had a heart that knew grief. “Clytemnestra Zabini, I can’t offer you an apology that can remedy all that you have lost but I can offer you a place in this school and help should you need it.”

Clytemnestra nodded solemnly, knowing that she would need his help eventually. “I will end this war and I shall do so with the same ruthlessness my old master had. I am not asking for permission, but I need not fight two enemies at once. I know your morality lives in various shades of grey and if you wish to fight me you may do so after Tom is dead.” For the first time she referred to him by his given name.

Dumbledore understood what she was telling him, and he doubted he would need to fight her in the end but for now he would stay out of his way unless she told him otherwise. For now, that was the best strategy considering the wealth of information she had over him. “Please keep me updated on your progress and please give me a list of modules you wish to take.”

Clytemnestra listed him all the advanced modules and the electives she wished to take. Then she excused herself, feeling the exhaustion in her bones. He told her that it was supper time and she allowed her legs to take the familiar route back to the dining hall for the feast.

The moment she entered the room the school fell silent. The story of the girl that fell from the ceiling had been the hottest topic of the school so far. Clytemnestra instinctively corrected her posture and put on her perfected mask. Her emotions under lock and key despite the turmoil she was in. Her eyes scanned the tables and she felt like death when her eyes found her mother’s.

Lily Potter truly had the eyes of her son, and she understood why Severus had been so fond of them till his dying breath. She had lovely red hair; a mouth shaped like hers, yet she smiled kinder than Clytemnestra ever could. Next to him sat her father, they shared the same black mane and Clytemnestra thought he looked exactly like Harry. Next to them was young Sirius, Remus, and Peter. Three of them looked at her as if she was a strange curiosity. She also recognised Alice and Frank Longbottom from pictures she had seen before.

Quickly she averted her eyes and made her way to the Slytherin table. In front of her sat Severus, Lucius, and the woman she admired the most in the world; Narcissa.

Rules of engagement in Slytherin circles dictated that the first one to talk was to lose. Narcissa had told them that she had to seduce each new person, make them want to know her, want to be known by her. So, she filled her plate in silence, and dared them into making the first move.

Gilda Yaxley was a woman of beauty and grace, but she was also known for her ability to make friends out of everyone. Yaxley twins had connections all over the world because of their uncanny ability to pull people towards them, therefore it was only natural that Gilda made the first move. “I am Gilda Yaxley, I am one of the prefects that found you last night, I do hope you are feeling much better.”

Clytemnestra returned the girls smile in equal friendliness, but her tone had more caution. “I am faring much better than expected though I never intended my journey to end as such. I am lucky that I found help, thank you.”

Next to her sat Narcissa and she eyed the new girl with diligence. She saw parts of herself in the girl’s posture, in the manner in which she smiled, and moved her body. In another world they could be twins perhaps. “Narcissa Black.” She deemed her worthy of being introduced to herself.

Clytemnestra hid her emotions carefully but was overjoyed to hear her voice once more. The same voice that sang her when she was ill and told her tales at bedtime. It was filled with youth, but she was still the mother she remembered. “Pleasure.”

Narcissa moved her head to the side and let the table know she was approved. In an instant she was bombarded by friendly introductions and many many questions she had no answer to. Being a Slytherin had prepared her however, so she navigated herself expertly.

Few hours later she found herself even more tired and excused herself to go to the dorms. Narcissa offered to take her to their common room and show her which bed she would sleep in. She also offered to lend her some clothes and self-care supplies until she could get her own. She took Clytemnestra by the arm and uttered the words she loved to hear. “Slytherins take care of their own.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the lovely response. It was so much more than I had anticipated! 
> 
> Please leave a comment if you are enjoying the story, it really does cheer me up a lot.

Clytemnestra very vividly remembered the night she received her dark mark. Her screams filled the manor as the poison ink burned through her veins, then after a while everything was deafeningly silent. Her jaw felt like it was wired shut and she could no longer scream nor process the world around her. That night she had woken up to Narcissa singing a lullaby to her, gently combing her hair in the dark. She did not speak for two days, and she refused to eat for three. Her nightmares started the night after and had been present ever since.

First the nightmares seldom bothered her, and when they came, they were of things that had not happened or things she feared but could convince herself that would never come true. However, the more her master demanded, the more her nightmares shifted from imaginations of a young mind to memories of one.

So, that night, while Clytemnestra slept in Narcissa’s silk gown, she found herself overwhelmed yet again by the things she had done. Not to mention the things she was going to do. Salazar have mercy, she thought, not that she had a soul left to save.

In her mind’s eye she had an intense feeling of being watched, so she shifted in her bed whilst pretending to be asleep and took a hold of her wand. Each fibre of her body screamed for her to draw her wand, but she had to remember that she was back in Hogwarts, she was back in the dorm rooms, this was her new bed and these people did not know her enough to want her dead.

Narcissa gently shook Clytemnestra by the shoulder. “Everyone is fast asleep now, and there are people in our year you are yet to meet.”

Clytemnestra opened her eyes and sat up in her bed. Narcissa handed her a silk robe that matched her gown as well as slippers to put on. In all her years she had not once disappointed Narcissa and she refused to start that night. She allowed Narcissa to take her by the arm and lead her to the seventh-year dormitories for the boys.

She observed the room she was in and smiled at how familiar it all felt. Everyone was wearing their pyjamas, they had glasses at hand and gentle music played in the background. She smirked to herself knowing that these people only showed their true colours amongst other Slytherins. Rules of the jungle dictated that they had to have the upper hand at all times, they were a room full of predators, unafraid. But the rules equally dictated that once they entered into each other’s confidence, their safe space, they were all allowed to take off their skin and be.

In front of her stood some of the most vicious human beings of the century and they all looked so very happy to see her.

Lysander Yaxley introduced himself first and then handed her a glass of red wine. Clytemnestra took a sip from the offered wine and licked her lips in hunger. “Delicious.” She whispered and promised herself that she would savour this as it deserved.

Lysander was pleased with her reaction since it was his vintage, they were sharing that night. “One could say the same about you.” He planted a kiss on her palm and she carefully observed him. He was certainly taller than her which spoke volumes, he flirted the same way an aristocrat did, and had impeccable manners too. His wavy black hair grew past his shoulders, but was tied neatly, he had beautiful green eyes that shined with curiosity. However, Clytemnestra decided his best asset was his lips because of his smile.

Knowing the shy could never survive in Slytherin, she threw herself into the mixture of people. She met Solan Mulciber next. She remembered his future very vividly also; he had been a teacher as well but seeing him as a boy made her forget the horrors for a moment. His hair had been cut neatly and his coal black eyes had softness in them. He was a boy still, not a death eater. His face had very sharp features one could even call handsome in certain light, he had barely visible freckles which she thought was somewhat adorable.

Next to Solan was Evan Rosier. He kissed her hand like Lysander, but he did it to show reverence as opposed to flirtation. His curly black hair and soft features made it hard to believe he was a dark wizard but when he smiled, he could make blood run cold.

Out of all three, meeting Marcus Avery was the hardest. His pale blue eyes met hers and she felt a chill run down her spine. In her mind he had been the one to kill her best friend, Pansy. In her mind, he had been the one to torture and burn so many innocents. Not one soul in this room was innocent but Marcus had the most capacity for cruelty. Yet he smiled at her warmly and offered her some chocolate to pair it with her wine. Tentatively she picked a caramel cube covered in milk chocolate and topped with sea salt. He watched her as she took a bite and smiled earnestly upon seeing her enjoy it.

Clytemnestra knew she had to get used to them rather quickly, and she wondered if she could reach them before their Dark Lord could take an irreversible hold.

Severus Snape had not aged gracefully, Clytemnestra thought. His eyes had curiosity and youth in them and although he approached her in caution, he was still smiling. Her relationship with Severus had always been complicated, he was both the man who doomed her family to death and the man who kissed her knees better when she fell from her training broom. He was the man who kidnapped her as well as the man who proudly displayed her drawings in his office. Clytemnestra showed great restraint when she shook his hand instead of hugging him.

Lucinda Talkalot was famed for earning Slytherin the Quidditch cup for four years in a row, but her true fame came from the innovative cross-disciplinary research she conducted over the years. She had all of Lucinda’s research in her library and she recognised her from her quidditch pictures. Lucinda was very tall and athletically built. Her dark skin, her neatly braided hair, her bronze-like eyes. Clytemnestra thought that she was likely the most beautiful woman she had ever seen.

Clytemnestra met Augustus Nott the next, another permanent fixture of her childhood. Best friend to Lucius and father to her dearest friend Theodore. He looked exactly like his son. He carried himself as a perfect gentleman and an aristocrat. His features were sharp but not pointy like Lucius or Draco. His skin had no scars, no blemishes. His eyes focused on Clytemnestra and she knew he could see everything she desired to hide. Augustus had always been a keen observer, and things seldom escaped his notice.

He kissed her hand and offered her a reserved smile. “You will do well in our little pit of snakes.” His declaration met with approving murmurs.

Clytemnestra returned his smile, their eyes meeting once more before she moved on to meet her next housemate. “Regulus Black, at your service.” He introduced himself but she needed no introductions to recognise him. He looked exactly like Sirius with the exception of his mad eyes and extremely tragic aura of sadness.

Lucius Malfoy was the last person she met, and she regretted it momentarily as he tried to invade her mind. She gathered all her strength to push him out of the depths of her mind and put a block around herself to prevent future attacks. Others seemed oblivious but she noticed his hand slightly tremble and knew this man well enough to understand that he was seething with anger. Narcissa seemed to be the only one to notice so she placed a hand at his back and rubbed it slightly.

Clytemnestra was not sure what she had done to warrant the wrath of her father, but she was alarmed for a good reason. Lucius was a ruthless man, cold and cruel if he felt threatened. Never once that side of him was directed to her but how could he know who she was. To him she was a stranger and he seemed rather angry by her presence.

Despite his anger, he showed impeccable manners as he kissed her palm and introduced himself. He looked exactly like Draco. His blonde hair was pale and styled perfectly, his vanity was evident even in his posture. His features were pointy and sharp yet somehow it all fit together. His eyes did not have the kindness of the man she knew, the man who fed her chicken soup when sick, and hugged her tight after she killed a person for the first time.

Solan grinned from ear to ear as he topped her wine glass. “Lucius was the one who carried you into the infirmary.” He had pride in his voice, pride in the achievements of his friends.

Clytemnestra summoned her kindest smile and thanked him. Lucius had humility in his voice as he responded. “I was just doing my duties. I am glad to see that you are not only feeling better but also have found a place amongst us.” He was ever the politician, and she knew he was pleased by the opportunity to keep a closer eye on her. Lucius, she knew was vicious when he wanted something, and Clytemnestra knew things would not end with a simple Legilimency spell.

She finally had a moment to sit down. Lysander had made some room for her on his bed, and she gratefully took it. She gathered her legs under herself and leaned back to the pillows he had arranged for her. Clytemnestra looked around and took in the view. Slytherins had always been complex creatures and she had always been proud to be one. Even now she did not feel like a stranger, even in a different time this house, this room, and these people felt like home. Future, or past, the soul remembered those loved, and love transcended time.

She listened to everyone speak to each other and spoke to Lysander about vintage wines and his father’s collection in their own winery in France. Clytemnestra had her own opinions on vintage wine, and he seemed impressed with her knowledge that exceeded beyond simple interest.

Narcissa gathered everyone’s attention after a while and asked Clytemnestra the question they all had been dying to know.

Knowing how excellent they all were in the art of deception, she thought it was best to stick to the truth as close as possible. “I have had a very complicated life thus far, but I suppose my life deserves to be known. I never truly met my parents, they died before I knew how to create memories. Everyone who knew them spoke of them in high regards. I had a brother too, a twin. I was told that my parents were killed, and everyone assumed my brother had been killed also. I was taken in by family friends, and they raised me as their own. They called me their daughter, and I always considered their son as my brother.”

Everyone had their eyes locked in Clytemnestra’s, she felt Lysander reach towards her and gave her a supportive squeeze. He looked at his own twin Gilda, and he could not imagine a life in which they were not together.

Clytemnestra took power from the simple gesture as she continued. “I went to Durmstrang Institute alongside my brother.” She had chosen Durmstrang because not only would it explain her extensive knowledge of the dark arts but also, they had an impossible to breach security around their student records so it would be virtually impossible for them to check up on it. “I met the love of my life there, Blaise. We were engaged to be married as soon as we graduated but fates took him from me. There was an attack by a werewolf, and he tried to save another student. He did not survive his wounds. To alleviate the pain, I went travelling with my brother for a while and I discovered that my biological brother Harry still lived. Somehow, he ended up amongst the muggles. He and I slowly started to build a relationship, he went to a different, much smaller institute but at least he was free from the muggle world and we were together. Last summer, my family and a few of my friends decided to take a holiday to celebrate our collective achievements at the end of the year. Father had many political enemies and our house was attacked. No one but me survived.”

She felt a fat tear roll from her eyes, and she cursed herself for not being able to stop it. Even in lies the deaths of her family hurt. Every person she had ever loved was dead and she couldn’t help but see their lifeless bodies, their pleading eyes, and parted lips.

Clytemnestra cleaned the tears and continued, though her voice was shaking. “I left the house that night because I had a nightmare about Blaise. I went to the nearby lake to clear my mind, when I returned, I found them. I am not even supposed to talk about my father's job, the ministry made me sign papers and they made the incident, as they called it, disappear. I lost my closest friends, and all of my family in one night and the ministry decided that they couldn’t even have funerals.” There was anger in her eyes, and she took a deep breath before she resumed. “It was arranged that I would come to England and enrol here considering there is nothing left for me at what used to be home.”

She was surprised when she felt Solan envelop her in a hug. “There is plenty for you here, I promise.”

She found herself leaning into the hug and realised she could not remember the last time she had allowed herself to be comforted. She looked at the eyes of her peers and she found no pity, but she found plenty of sympathy.

For the remainder of the night they made sure not to ask her anymore personal questions. Instead they stuck to non-controversial topics such as her favourite modules, books, and fashion. Lucinda talked about Quidditch. Marcus talked about music, and she learned that he played the piano since the age of three and that his mother was a concert pianist. It seemed even Lucius was giving her a pass for the night.

It was around three AM that Narcissa collected all the girls and herd them back to the dormitories. She tucked Clytemnestra back to her bed and thought about why she felt so protective of a girl she met mere hours ago. Narcissa always took care of her fellow Slytherins and especially her friends. In particular, she thought Clytemnestra needed to be taken care of. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to leave reviews! I appreciate all kinds of feedback and its always good to know what my readers think! If you want to find me and chat I am on tumblr as sxrvivc.tumblr.com


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please enjoy this chapter and as always please leave a review!

Slytherins prided themselves in their traditions as much as Gryffindors prided themselves in their bravery. They had evolved as the times had dictated but still they held onto few core principles that defined them as people. One of those principles was punctuality and Slytherins took that very seriously.

Their time was invaluable and as such had to be wasted with great care.

Each morning they all woke up at six am sharp with the exception of first and second years. They prepared themselves with great care to face the day and by seven am they all would gather downstairs to migrate towards the dining hall.

Even when hung over such rules were not overlooked, hence why Clytemnestra was wrestling her birds nest of a hair in the bathroom with the help of her roommates. Gilda had given her a little care package that included hygiene essentials and Narcissa had allowed her to borrow a white Sunday dress paired with a lovely red coat. From Narcissa she had learned that she was to visit Hogsmeade that day with the school heads to replace her missing items.

Clytemnestra was excited on the prospect of meeting the Potters and wished to make a memorable and amicable first impression on them. The only thing preventing her from doing so was her wild hair she had inherited from her father. Normally she would have let it loose but she really felt compelled to tame it that morning.

Girls managed to go downstairs fully prepared after few spells and choice words. Clytemnestra felt proud of her looks and smiled gracefully when she received compliments. “Thank you gentleman and a very good morning to you too.” She then entered into a soft conversation with Lysander as they waited for the first years to arrive.

Normally each year went to breakfast in their own groups but for the first month at least the sixth or seventh years always accompanied the first years. Slytherin kids had tough skin but still no child should be bullied for making to breakfast. Clytemnestra remembered her own sorting, how she was booed mercilessly and how for a while even the older kids of other houses had picked on them, even sending jinxes their way. To prevent that as much as possible seventh years did their best to accompany them whenever they could.

First years joined them soon after, and they all made their way to breakfast chatting with the young ones to remind them that they were welcomed and they were not alone in this house. Other houses had strong bonds too but Slytherins were known for their strong sense of fraternity. ‘Slytherins take care of their own’ was more than a motto to them.

Once everyone settled into their table they all filled their plates with some light breakfast and much deserved morning tea. Unlike the rest of the meals, breakfast was a silent affair for the Slytherins. They took this time to prepare for the day and focus their minds.

The owl post brought in the mail and some of them started to read at the table, while others quietly opened their parcels from home. Since she lacked her own subscriptions to any paper, Regulus was kind enough share the economy section with her. She devoured the information given to her, a habit she had picked up from Lucius as a child. He taught them to read everything they could get their hands on, no information was insignificant at the hands of a well-trained mind such as theirs.

Finished with the economy she got the sports section from Avery, and a French paper from Lucius who seemed surprised at the way she consumed information. Everyone on that table knew the workings of the British politics but not many paid attention to the other parts of the world. He eventually handed out to her an Italian Press and returned to his morning tea.

Unfortunately they were all interrupted by the heads who had arrived to collect Clytemnestra. She turned around to face them and found that it would be less painful to be subjected to cruciatus in that moment. It seemed Narcissa had been the only one to notice the slight slip of her otherwise perfect mask. She placed her hand on Clytemnestra’s and quietly offered to come with them if she needed her to. In silence she shook her head and stood up.

Her eyes focused on her mother, red hair and beautifully green eyes as described. She had freckles gathered on her nose like a star chart. Lily smiled warmly to her and it felt like a hug. “Clytemnestra Zabini” she introduced herself as she extended her hand to them. “Thank you for taking me out today, I really appreciate it.”

Lily was the first one to shake her hand and introduce herself. “I’m Lily Evans and this here is James Potter, he’s still trying to wake up I think.”

On cue he let out a big yawn as he reached for the handshake. “Sorry Evans, it was a boys only kinda night,” then he turned to Clytemnestra again “But nice to meet you and all that.”

Clytemnestra put on her coat and was just about to leave when Lysander tossed her a pouch of galleons. “The list is inside, ta-ta!” he waved them off then and returned to his meal.

Gryffindors gave him a weird look but none the less they all started to walk towards the gates. Once out of earshot James asked, “So are you his personal shopper?”

He was slightly mocking her but it didn’t sound hostile, she smiled at him before responding. “Oh no, the list is for me, supposed to be full of things I should buy. I was not allowed to peek last night when they made it.”

James thought that was suspiciously nice of the Slytherins. “And the money?”

She shrugged with the nonchalance of privilege. “I have expensive tastes and I doubt Dumbledore would open the school pouches that deep.”

Lily raised her eyebrow in question. “So he just gave it to you just like that?”

Clytemnestra knew from Severus that her mother had modest beginnings. “Money is only an issue if you lack it and no one on that table does. Ask James, underneath all that bad posture lies privilege hmm, I know a pureblood by their scent.”

James rubbed the back of his neck like he was slightly embarrassed to be called out, he had thrown money at Remus and Peter before without thinking. So had Sirius. His personal bank account alone could sustain his entire school house for generations. “You are one too I assume?”

She shook her head in confidence, and pride. “Muggle-born mom, pure-blood dad. Not much of a scandal as the papers hoped.”

Lily seemed surprised by her admission, considering most Slytherins with less than pristine heritage tended to keep it under the radar. “Clearly there was no Prophet to latch onto that, they are all vultures.” She did not remember her summer internship at that paper very fondly and her tone showed.

Clytemnestra was about to respond but James pointed out their carriage and opened the door for them before he entered himself. The carriage started to move as soon as James pulled the door close, and they started on their journey into the village.

James reached for her coin purse without asking for it and was surprised by how quickly he got smacked by both girls. Lily went for his head while Clytemnestra smacked his hand away. “I just wanted to see what’s in there.” He pouted ever so slightly. “No offence but I need to finish this and get back to the castle. I have things to do, people to see, pranks to plan.”

Lily rolled her eyes but Clytemnestra handed the list over to them after skimming it herself briefly. It mostly contained book recommendations, sweet recommendations for their off hours escapades, some advice on where to get the best potion supplies and she had immediately recognised the hand writing as Severus’. Both of them nodded along as they read and discussed it between them.

Eventually James handed the list back after making a magical copy of it. “I can tackle the books and you and Lily can get clothes and your other feminine stuff.” He checked his pocket watch before he continued. “If you finish before noon you can get your owl too but if not we can do that after lunch. Once we finish we’ll meet at Three Broomsticks, then you and I can pick the Quidditch supplies while Lily goes and gets your potions and Herbology supplies. She’s the best potions student in our year.” There was pride in his voice and although Lily did not acknowledge the compliment Clytemnestra could see the corners of her lips twitch.

She tucked that information away for now and turned her attention back to their plan. They aimed to finish this as fast as possible but at least it didn’t seem like they were trying to get rid of her. She had to admit she was surprised by her father. Severus always portrayed James as a bully and someone who liked to push people around, Remus and Sirius always talked about James like he was the second coming of Merlin. To Clytemnestra he didn’t seem like either of those things, he seemed friendly, full of Gryffindor bravado and pride, and he sounded like he really did care about Lily and the people around him.

She wondered, could everyone be so wrong about him?

Their carriage came to a stop and James opened the door for them once again. They said goodbyes and went to their separate ways.

Lily took her arm and guided them to the opposite direction of the village towards their first stop. “Dumbledore told us that you lost your things trying to portkey here, that sounds like an adventure are you okay?”

Clytemnestra laughed softly. “I think so? I was really confused when I woke up and with a terrible headache too but all my body parts are accounted for.”

She measured Clytemnestra with her looks and seemed satisfied with her answer. “Good to hear, I never really used a portkey before but my friend Alice has her probationary apparition license so she and I visited some cool places over the summer.”

They continued to chat about Lily’s summer until they reached their first shop. It belonged to a potioneer, not too large but it would have all the supplies she needed. She needed to buy shampoos and conditioners to last her for some time, she needed hair treatment potions, face masks, and make-up, also some skin and nail treatments to fix the mess the war had created.

One could call her vain and she did take pride in her looks, but she also found the routine of beautification to be calming, predictable, and it made her feel in control of at least one aspect of her life.

Lily seemed to be impressed with her purchases as they carried their bags towards the next shop. “You were not kidding about your expensive tastes.”

Clytemnestra grinned mischievously as she opened the door to the clothing shop. “You have not seen a thing yet.”

It took them few hours and two other shops to finally finish. Clytemnestra was very particular about her clothes, she mixed classical and contemporary witch fashion. Lily on the other hand had no interest in witch fashion, she preferred the comfort and familiarity of muggle fashion. Still both girls tried on countless outfits and put on a two person show. They laughed and chatted about their lives, and Clytemnestra even convinced Lily to buy a beautiful and simple white dress that made her look both innocent and tempting.

Store clerks promised her clothes would be sent to Hogwarts as soon as possible and the girls left for their lunch date with James.

Clytemnestra felt childish satisfaction as she jumped on a small pile of leaves and they crunched under her feet, Lily laughed besides her which made her feel all the more content. The innocence of the moment could never last but she committed all to memory so that one day she could recall how it felt to hear her mother laugh.

Lily smiled like she was dreaming as they spotted James up ahead. Clytemnestra slightly nudged her to get her attention. “Blind man can tell he loves you, and you…” she made very suggestive eyebrows at her, causing Lily to blush.

She chewed on her lip for a moment before answering, as if to gather her courage. “He wasn’t always like this. I mean he could be nice but he was a bully and he hurt people. I don’t think he never really understood just how much but he did. He was cruel.”

Clytemnestra could sense the but coming a mile ahead, so she helped her along. “But?”

Lily shrugged, unsure of herself. “He changed. He’s kinder now, and he still pranks people but at least he’s not hurting them. He doesn’t chase me around obnoxiously either. Ever since Sirius moved in with him he has matured and I like this version of him. This boy who really cares about people and wants to help.”

She understood where Lily was coming from, she understood her fears. “I am not the best person to give an opinion on this but the woman who raised me, she would always say ‘you must have courage to love’. I did not understand until I fell in love but she was a wise woman.”

Lily pointed towards James who was waving at them. “Let’s go, he’ll come over if we don’t and I don’t think I can explain this conversation to him.”

Clytemnestra chuckled and started to move as Lily requested.

James greeted them with a smile, he was holding a small bag of chocolates from Honeydukes. “For Remus.” He explained which was mostly for Lily. Then he turned to Clytemnestra. “Some for us too, I wasn’t sure what you’d like so I got us a few things but I’ll take you there again it’s on your list.”

Clytemnestra opened the door for them this time and they all entered Three Broomsticks. Madame Rosmerta greeted them very enthusiastically. “Isn’t it a bit early for a weekend out for you?”

James first introduced Clytemnestra to Madame Rosmerta, then explained their situation. “…So she lost all her things turns out and Dumbledore says he’s not sure they can be recovered at all. She needs all sorts of things, and we have much to do but I couldn’t keep her away from your delicious food and mulled mead in good conscious.”

She smiled at James fondly and showed them to a booth before taking their order. The kids settled down nicely; shedding their coats and enjoying the warmth coming from the fireplace. James started to tell her about the establishment and sang praises of their host. “Oh before I forget, I got all your books sent to Hogwarts. I got all the list but I did add a few things there for myself so if you can bring it over whenever that’d be great.”

Clytemnestra nodded, wondering what kind of books her father liked. She then turned her attention to Lily as she told James about how their shopping went. He didn’t seem to believe the amount of clothes she bought and it was possible that he thought the girls were exaggerating. The conversation flew freely after that and Madame Rosmerta returned with their order soon.

Often she had wondered how it would feel to spend time with her family, she had no memory of them yet she missed them. She knew them but they had no idea who she was or what she could have been to them. She supposed that was fine though, as long as they kept laughing like they did now she cared not. They could get to know her slowly and perhaps she could be a friend to them or even someone that could be trusted. Her parents never looked as young to her as they did now, unaware of fate and war, kids full of hope.

Clytemnestra wished she could protect this, protect them but she knew all she could do was to capture this moment and cherish it as long as it was allowed. She would covet each moment of this day and when her body finally gave out to this war she would have something to remember her parents by. A real memory of them, and it belonged only to her.

Once their lunch was finished Lily took off to gather supplies for potions and herbology, they planned to meet at the art store in two hours to get her art supplies. Meanwhile she and James took a stroll towards the Quidditch shop.

He kept respectable distance between them, he might have liked her thus far but he did not want her in his personal space nor wanted to intrude on hers. He had a hard time[VQ1] trusting Slytherins as is but he felt like something about her didn’t sit right. She felt too familiar, looked too familiar, in fact she somewhat looked like his mother in her younger pictures.

That, of course was a ludicrous idea so he put it aside and made conversation instead. “Are you interested in the team or is it like a hobby?”

Clytemnestra smirked sharply. “Captain for two years in a row. Beater since second year.” There was pride in her tone. She had auditioned same time as Draco and Blaise had but unlike them she had been held back for being a girl, that ogre of a boy Flint had opinions. So she had to earn her place by means of blackmail and broken bones but she had and he had not regretted allowing her on the team since. He had called her ruthless the first time, merciless the second time, and by third he had allowed her in.

James looked at her with[VQ2] interest for the first time. He assumed someone that looked like her would play as a hobby, he already was surprised to see the supplies on his list because he genuinely thought she’d be afraid to break a nail. But now she looked almost vicious and too proud not to be good at the game. “Current Captain of the Gryffindor team, chaser.” He had pride too, heaps of it in fact.

She could see their similarities just then, their shared passion. “Lucinda invited me to try out this year, she says they are down a beater and two chasers since they graduated.”

He nodded, he had to hold try outs as well since his keeper had graduated as well as a fellow chaser. “Big shoes to fill.”

Before going inside the shop, they browsed the brooms displayed on the windows. Clytemnestra was listening very carefully as James talked about different advantages of different brooms since she had limited knowledge of era appropriate sporting goods.

Shop keeper came outside after noticing them standing around a while, he was a man in his forties, cheerful with glasses resting on top of his head. “Come in, come in, I have few more selections inside and our back to Hogwarts discount is still available.”

Both teens walked inside the shop, looking around curiously. James made easy conversation with the owner about his newest arrivals while Clytemnestra inspected the brooms. She occasionally asked questions about the models regarding speed, balance, and sturdiness. Eventually the owner offered her a test fly which she accepted.

Clytemnestra tested three different brooms before she decided on Nimbus 1700. She also purchased a highly recommended broomstick servicing kit, as well as protective gears, and Holyhead Harpies merchandise. The owner promised to send over everything by tonight, and they left the store.

James checked his pocket watch and declared that they had some time to kill. “If you want we can go get some hot chocolate.”

She did like the idea but from the corner of her eyes she spotted Zonko’s and had a better idea. “How about the joke shop?”

He looked at her a bit suspiciously. “You don’t look like a jokes type of person. No offence.”

Clytemnestra took no offence, she wasn’t exactly known for her pranks anyway. “Oh I meant for you, I heard you are quite the prank master.”

He raised his eyebrow like she often did herself. “Did you now?”

Clytemnestra shrugged affirmatively. “I was warned about you, you will prank me right?” She looked excited about the prospect. “I am looking forward to it. I heard some good things, some bad things, and some very hard to believe things. I have expectations.”

James eyed her carefully, trying to see if she was serious or mocking him. “You are the new shiny thing, we’ll try not to disappoint.”

But he did eventually lead [VQ3] her to Zonko’s to stock up on some items, then got her hot chocolate with extra whipped cream and marshmallows to bribe her to keep quiet about it.

They were sitting at the park now, sipping their drink and chatting idly when she approached the subject. “You and Lily, clearly you are in love with her.”

James actually blushed at the statement, but did not refute. “When we first met I wasn’t particularly kind to her or her best friend at the time. Snivellus.” He then corrected himself. “Snape, sorry, he’s in your year.”

Clytemnestra nodded. “I met him, he was nice but I am starting to understand those niceties don’t really extend to Gryffindors and vice versa.”

He smirked at her. “You catch on quick. We pranked them, him especially and I can’t say we were nice about it either. I never realised how much I hurt her until I asked her out on our fifth year and she actually broke my nose in return. Some other things made me realise I was wrong, I wasn’t the dashing hero or whatever I thought I was so I’ve been trying. She and I are friends now but been afraid to ask her out.”

She smiled at him. “Give her time, if she has feelings for you she will come to you. Lily doesn’t seem the shy type if she wants something.”

He was about to say something else but Lily called out their names few steps away, waving at them as she made her way over. James immediately gave her the hot chocolate he got for her, kept warm by the charms. Lily’s face lit up as she took a sip and she thanked him. Clytemnestra moved over so she could sit between them on the bench.

She sat down and tried to catch her breath. For a while, all Lily did was to sip her hot chocolate. “Your things are on their way to Hogwarts and I think all we need is your art supplies, owl, and Honeydukes, then we can go back.”

Clytemnestra looked over her list to confirm. “I believe so too and thank you both once again. I would have been lost on my own.”

James let out a soft huff and shrugged his shoulders. “You don’t seem the type.” From what he had seen she was perfectly capable of many things. It was that same sense of odd familiarity that made him feel uneasy and apprehensive about her.

Lily patted her leg and smiled warmly at her, almost as if to soften James’ brush comment. “You are welcome, and it was fun.” Then for a moment she seemed nervous, she chewed on her lip and spoke a minute later after she gathered all her courage. “Would you like to have lunch with me tomorrow?”

Clytemnestra picked up on her vulnerability and she knew it was because of her status as a Slytherin. Lily had been burned by that before but ever since hearing Clytemnestra claim her mother’s heritage with pride, she had been curious, and all day, not once had she ever made Lily feel like she wasn’t worth her time. Lily wanted to know her and befriend her, but she was nervous about rejection, anger of her friends, or being betrayed by a Slytherin once more.

Smile gifted to her by Clytemnestra was beaming, and full of excitement. “I would love that, thank you so much. I’ll admit I was afraid, the rivalry between our houses is famed and my housemates warned me.”

James scoffed a little, but he could not object, both houses shared a history larger than them. “Lily is the best of us but they’re not wrong. You’re new and some people will take that as an invitation.”

Lily gave him a glare but did not dispute. “Maybe we can all aspire to be a bit better.” She stood up and smiled at them both. “Come on, we still have much to do.”

Gathering the art supplies she needed had been easier, Clytemnestra was very particular about her needs and the store clerk was able to get her most of what she wanted, promising to order the rest for her to have by the end of the week. Lily and James had waited outside, and they were chatting when Clytemnestra joined them.

Next stop was the small branch of the London Owl Emporium. This time they both came in with her and she explained that she never had an owl before since she always used Draco’s before. James gave her a few tips about how to care an owl and told her to check out a specific book about it from the library. Lily also had never had her own owl, mostly borrowing from the school’s post office. She knew Petunia would have a brain aneurism if she ever brought home an actual owl.

In James’ guidance the girls looked through several different breeds of owl, and Clytemnestra had to admit her surprise about his vast knowledge of the subject. In return James explained that his father raised messenger owls as a hobby ever since he was a kid.

Eventually she settled on an Eagle Owl that she promptly named Athene Noctua. Clytemnestra also bought plenty of supplies, owl treats, and a roomy cage. The shopkeeper suggested that she keep Athene with her for at least two weeks to bond before housing her with the other owls at Hogwarts. They thanked the shop owner and left alongside her new owl.

Before they returned to the castle, they made their last stop at Honeydukes. James waited outside with Athene since animals were not allowed inside and he had already completed his shopping. Clytemnestra bought several types of chocolates, candies, and salty pretzels that she liked. Lily bought mostly chocolate and two tubs of candy floss to share with Alice. Both girls had enough supplies to last them till their next outing. Especially Clytemnestra since she bought for the whole class and few extra treats for the first years.

Once again James seemed impressed with the amount she could buy and offered to carry the bags for her in exchange of returning Athene to her. He explained that it was important for them to bond and that they should interact as much as possible for strong companionship.

Three of them walked back to the carriage talking about their plans for the rest of the afternoon. James was going to meet his friends and he hinted that they’d be planning a special prank just for her. Lily gave her a look but was reassured by Clytemnestra that she had asked for it. Lily was going to meet Alice and the girls near the lake to catch up and maybe enjoy some of the treats they just bought. Clytemnestra said she would go to the library and check out the book James recommended and prepare for her classes.

Indeed, she planned on going to the library, but she had lied about her intentions. Once back at the castle first thing she did was to put Athene to her room and second was to enter the restricted section of the library. Man of his word, Dumbledore had told Madam Pince that Clytemnestra would have unlimited access to all of the library for the duration of her education.

Despite not having a solid plan on how to stop a war many had failed to do so before; Clytemnestra knew that there was no point in delaying her research into Horcruxes and the circumstances of her arrival into the past. Her knowledge of Horcruxes was limited since neither Voldemort nor Dumbledore shared that particular secret with others. Voldemort wished to be the only immortal of the new world order, and Dumbledore simply never trusted her enough to use her information for the good of the world.

She did not know how to create one, but she knew it involved murder and darker magic than most people knew how to comprehend. She also lacked the knowledge on how to destroy one, although Harry and his friends did manage to do in few different manners. Clytemnestra knew she could not get her hands on Basilisk venom easily and unlike Harry she had no way of visiting the Chamber to ask for a fresh cup of venom from the very alive beast that currently occupied it. Fiendfyre also seemed to be a viable option and Clytemnestra could control the flames with ease, however fire by its nature was hard to miss. If she could find a more subtle method, she could employ that.

Of course, before she could consider destroying them, she had to understand them. As she walked down the aisles and aisles of books, she could feel the dark magic call for her. It was similar to the call of a lover, teasing her, begging to be caressed, to be held, and loved. Many assumed dark magic hurt, that it felt painful and although sacrifices had to be made, tolls had to be paid, aftermath of it was glorious. No power could ever compare, and Clytemnestra was not ashamed to admit that she loved it.

Dark magic had called for her from a very young age since she was surrounded and educated by the likes of Lucius and Severus. They had never attempted to curb her devotion to learning, they had never pretended to protect her from the evils and moral decay of dark magic. In her home it had always been treated as normal and because of that Clytemnestra knew she could do anything she wished in this world, she was not held back by the same morals and rules that stopped others. The line had been crossed many times over by now, so she smiled wickedly as she caressed the spine of a book screaming for her attention. Then she continued to walk away.

First hour of her research had passed without a notice, she was surrounded by several books by now and she had found herself a table tucked away from everyone else. She had a notebook taking notes for her, she was constantly fact checking and referring to other materials to piece together a proper understanding of her target subject.

In several books she had seen a reference to a journal article, she left her desk to find the aforementioned information but upon her return she saw a figure occupying her chair, reading through her notes. Lucius Malfoy turned the pages of her books, seemed to be enamoured by the information. If this had been anyone else, she already would have erased their memory, but she knew she did not have it in her to hurt Lucius.

Lucius on the other hand did not have those same moral qualms since to him she was a perfect stranger that intruded into his life few days ago.

He was dangerous and she knew.

Lucius smiled at her viciously as he pointed to the chair between the table and the wall. “You have such interesting reading material that I could not help myself, do forgive me.”

Clytemnestra knew that the moment she sat down he would trap her, but still she decided to put a little faith in her Lucius. “How may I help you Malfoy?” Never in her life had she referred him as Malfoy but in this life, they were not friendly enough to call each other by their names. Her tone mimicked anger, irritation, but what she was truly feeling in that moment was fear.

Fear although a foreign emotion to her was not a complete stranger. For the first time in her life she feared Lucius, the man who taught her how to kill. Lucius was a violent man when it suited him, he knew dark curses most did not even knew existed. He was ruthless, and if he hurt her in that moment, he would feel no remorse.

Lucius pushed the table towards Clytemnestra with more brute force than necessary, effectively trapping her between the desk and the wall. He stood up and leaned over her, pulling out a necklace that was given to her by Narcissa. “This,” he said with venom in his words, “does not belong to you.”

The necklace had belonged to the Malfoy women for generation, it was passed from mother to daughter and on her eleventh birthday Narcissa had given it to her and claimed her as a Malfoy. It was silver and the Malfoy insignia had been carved onto it with gold. It was simple looking and centuries old, but it had a strong protection charm in built into it, though in time it had faded it was still powerful. Perhaps the necklace did not belong to her by blood, but it did belong to her by familial rights. It had been given to her willingly and in good faith.

Lucius’ eyes were burning in anger. “Imagine my surprise when I spotted my mother’s necklace on you as I carried you to the hospital wing.” He leaned towards her further, and she knew he could hurt her at any moment. “I am a gentleman, so I tried to give you time to heal, and I even tried to be discreet…”

Clytemnestra interrupted her; despite her fear she could never show weakness. “Invading the mind of person is neither gentlemanly nor discreet.”

He took a deep breath to control himself. “And am I to take the word of a thief and a liar? Please.” He scoffed.

In anger she darted from her seat, pushing the desk a bit back. “I am certainly many things, but I am not a thief Lucius Malfoy.”

Both stared down at each other, and neither had any intentions to back down. Narcissa’s anger had always been cold, distant, and sharp. However, Lucius and Clytemnestra shared the same anger. They both composed themselves but let their anger be known, let their discomfort be felt, and in that moment, they looked like two vipers aiming for each other’s neck.

Lucius raised his eyebrow in mockery of her. “I am sure you have a perfectly logical explanation as to how you seem to possess a well-protected family heirloom of mine.”

Clytemnestra froze. She had no explanation to give to him, nothing that would make sense to him. She believed that it was still too early for Lucius to know, she needed more time. Desperately she searched her mind for a satisfactory answer because she knew Lucius would never stop pursuing this. He could end her social standing amongst the Slytherins with just one world.

He could end her too.

She removed the chain around her neck and placed it on the table. “Send a letter home and ask your mother, she’ll confirm that this is not her necklace but till then do hold onto it.” Using wandless magic, she pushed the table further and manged to squeeze out. She then twisted her wrist and sent the books flying back to their shelves. “We are done for now, please refrain from going through my things again. I shall not be as courteous next time.”

Clytemnestra tried to walk away but Lucius got a strong hold of her wrist. “We are far from done Zabini.” His wand poking at her stomach.

Still she showed no fear. “Remove yourself from my person this instant Malfoy or I shall show you just how good of a liar I am.” Her eyes fell to her wrist and she grinned at him viciously. “I am bound to bruise from the way you are holding me, do tell how long before you are in Narcissa’s good graces after I cry to her, terrified out of my mind that you tried to hurt me. Mind you dear, I am a survivor of many tragedies so it is understandable why I would be so scared, shaking, and crying and so terrified.”

He immediately let her go but did not lower his wand just yet. Lucius knew he was cornered; if he told them the truth the would question why he had been so friendly to her before, and now that he possessed the necklace he could no longer prove she had it at any point in time. He could prove his word by opening his mind, but he had no intentions of doing so. For now, he would allow her this win.

Clytemnestra smiled to him, this time neither vicious nor malicious. “I am not the enemy Lucius and in time you shall understand that too, but for now let us go back to being friends, let us forget this moment in time ever happened. Write your letters home, and we will talk after.”

Lucius lowered his wand and looked at her as if she was a peculiar thing.

He would know her secrets soon, but till then a truce seemed acceptable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to leave reviews! I appreciate all kinds of feedback and its always good to know what my readers think! If you want to find me and chat I am on tumbl as sxrvivc.tumblr.com


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you'll enjoy the story! 
> 
> Leave a comment if you enjoyed the story, they help motivate me and let me know what the readers think.

On Monday morning Dumbledore gave his usual speech during breakfast to commemorate the first day of education and once again welcome everyone back to Hogwarts. He ended his speech with few warnings about adhering to the rules, staying away from the forest, and then wished everyone a fulfilling year. The entire hall clapped politely before returning to their breakfast.

Clytemnestra had some jam and toast, tea, and some fruits for breakfast while reading her newspaper. Narcissa had taken the liberty to subscribe to few publications on her behalf on Sunday after observing her interest in various newspapers.

Quiet atmosphere of the breakfast table was broken when Lucius got up from his seat and pulled Clytemnestra up too. Everyone had noticed the sudden coldness between them, but no one commented on it. For now, they would observe and wait. Slytherins seldom made rush decisions.

Lucius helped Clytemnestra gather her book bag and handed it to her. “We both have potions Clytemnestra so allow me the honour of accompanying you. Would hate to see you be late to your first class.”

Clytemnestra smiled as graciously as a kidnapping victim could, raised her head in both dignity and defiance. “I’d be delighted to.”

Only Narcissa dared to meet Lucius’ eyes but she said nothing to save the girl or her own fiancé.

Lucius held the doors open for her and started to speak freely once they left the great hall entirely. “I am sure you have noticed that I received a letter from home this morning. Father believes in punctuality and so do I, with that in mind I see no reason to delay the inevitable.”

Clytemnestra gave a curt nod, sure of herself yet she knew she was being herd into a secluded passageway. One she and Pansy used often. Lucius pulled the tapestry to the side after giving the password for the hidden room. He allowed her to enter first and so blocked her way of getting out. “Are you planning to raise your wand against me?”

Lucius turned around to close the door, the honest answer escaping his lips like a dirty secret. “Possibly.” So, when he turned around and was faced with her wand instead all he could do was smirk in a self-satisfied manner. He made no attempt to pull his own wand, not yet at least. Instead he opened the letter, allowing the envelope to fall to the floor. He read his father’s meticulous writing, and as he read his face changed from confident to confused, and eventually he reined all his emotions in. “It seems I have been wrong.” His admission meant nothing to either of them. “However, I know that was my mother’s necklace.” He had no reasonable way to explain but as her son, as someone who missed her deeply and terribly every day, he knew.

Clytemnestra lowered her wand but did not entirely put it away. “So many unanswered questions yet I have no answers to offer to you. At the risk of repeating myself, I am not a thief and I am certainly not your enemy. I must urge you to put some faith in me.”

Lucius laughed at her. “I do not associate myself with weak notions of faith.”

Her smile did not mock him, however. “I suppose with a name like yours you could not afford to.”

In return Lucius smirked at her. “I will find all your secrets eventually, and then you shall be at my mercy.”

Clytemnestra laughed at him this time, though not in mean spirits. “I do not associate myself with weak notions of mercy.”

To that he actually smiled at her as one would to a friend. He burned the letter and the envelope in silent magic, then opened the door for them. He offered her his arm as they walked into the potions classroom, and even escorted her to Professor Slughorn.

Professor Slughorn looked exactly the same but somewhat younger. He had a smile on his face as he greeted his favourite student as well as his newest pupil. Quickly he looked at the seating chart at his hand and pointed to an empty seat for Clytemnestra. “Miss Zabini, I am afraid your housemates have already been assigned their seats so if you have no objections could you please take a seat next to Mister Lupin.”

Much to Severus’ dismay Professor Slughorn had actually been her favourite potions teacher. She remembered the man in fondness and knew she was lucky to found him again in the past.

Turning towards to the seats the opposing house occupied she easily spotted James, and next to him was a boy that could only be Sirius Black. He had lovely black curls, untamed hair, and perfectly drawn facial structure. He resembled nothing of the ghost of a man she remembered him as. Occupying the workstation in front of theirs was Remus Lupin. He had sand blond hair, kind eyes, and long fingers. He too, did not resemble the poverty ridden recluse of a man she had met in her third year. These boys were full of life, laughter, and hope. Innocent in ways they did not know yet. Untouched by the very war that had destroyed her by the end of it.

Clytemnestra turned her attention back to the Professor and smiled. “I have no objections Professor, perhaps this’ll give them a chance to learn.”

Slughorn laughed from the belly, appreciating his new pupil’s confidence and very Slytherin approach to her circumstances.

Clytemnestra walked towards the Marauders knowing the eyes of her fellow Slytherins was on her to see how she’d handle herself in a den of lions. She noticed that in front of her sat Lily and Alice, and that put her to ease knowing she would have at least one friend.

Of course, there was another concern in her mind regarding Remus. He had once disclosed to her that he suffered during potions classes due to the heavy smell of the ingredients. His senses got overwhelmed and he found himself often nauseous or in pain. Clytemnestra took a mental note to find a fix to.

Soft thud of her bookbag alerted the Marauders to her presence, they had been too busy talking amongst themselves to hear Professor assign her to the table. “I know we bonded Zabini, but I think you are at the wrong table.” James spoke as the only person who was familiar with her.

Clytemnestra laughed. “You flatter yourself James, I am here for Remus.” She turned to the boy and offered him her hand. “Professor assigned me to this space.”

He let out a surprised noise and shook her hand. “Nice to meet you?” Remus sounded unsure of himself, he always had been wary of new people and he enjoyed sitting alone since it allowed him certain freedoms.

She looked at the piles of books and materials on the table, and then back to Remus. In a hurry he cleaned up his things to make space for her. “Thank you.” Clytemnestra sat down and started to organise her space almost in a ritualistic manner. Severus never tolerated messy work space, disorganisation, and sloppy prep work. If she ever got it wrong, he would make her do it over and over again until she improved.

Cauldron had to be in the middle. Knives placed in order on the right-hand side of the table, and ingredients on the left organised by alphabetical order.

Sirius leaned over him and pushed the edge of one of her knives a few millimetres out, snickering to himself the entire time. Clytemnestra fixed her knife and turned around to face him, a grin on her face. “It is unwise to antagonise someone whist they are in the close proximity of knives you know; it is common sense after all. This must be that Gryffindor bravery I have heard so much about.”

Sirius laughed and offered his hand for a shake. “I’m just being neighbourly.”

Meanwhile James interrupted him and added. “Trust me, no one is going to accuse Sirius of having common sense.”

Lily turning around from her conversation realised that Clytemnestra was there. “Morning.” Her tone was warm and friendly. “Are we still on for lunch?”

Clytemnestra bid her a good morning as well. “It is a bit chilly outside, but I think we can have a little picnic near the lake.”

“Can Alice come with?” Lily tapped on her desk mate’s shoulder to get her attention. “Clytemnestra, meet Alice.”

For a moment Clytemnestra could not speak. She had never met the Longbottom family, but she knew them from the pictures and Alice looked exactly the same. Her skin was light and full of freckles, her blond hair cut pixie short and her eyes were the warmest brown. Instantly she felt guilty of this moment, in a fair world it would be Neville meeting his mother not her.

Clytemnestra shook the girl’s hand. “Of course, she can…” she was about to say more but Slughorn had taken control of the classroom. The bell had gone off, officiating the start of the first period.

Before starting the lesson Slughorn gave a welcome speech to the class, emphasising the importance of NEWT exams and how proud he was of everyone for making it this far. He the announced he would start the lesson with a quiz to refresh everyone’s knowledge. He waved his wand and wooden boxes distributed themselves to the students at random. He instructed everyone not to open their allocated boxes until it was their turn. The purpose of the game was to identify the three potions inside and for each correct potion they would be awarded five house points and of course if the misidentified a potion they would lose equal amounts of points.

First one up was Frank Longbottom, he was two seats ahead of her and from where she sat, she could only see the back of his head. He identified all his potions correctly, and the turn passed to the boy next to him. She found some of the potions utterly easy, but she kept her opinions to herself. Both Lily and Alice also got their fifteen points and soon the turn was passed to Remus.

Remus opened his box and as the strong smell of the potions hit him, he did his best not to lose his breakfast. As discreetly as possible she pointed her wand at him and whispered a spell, she knew would take away his urge to gag and some of the discomfort too. Remus instantly relaxed and so did Clytemnestra noticing that no one had saw her cast her spell. Over the years she had perfected the art of discretion, but one could rarely be sure.

He identified his first potion easily and moved onto the second vial. As soon as he opened it the smell hit even her, and she immediately know what it was. Ocean breeze, freshly cut grass, and sunset. Amortentia took her by surprise however, because up until that moment she had always smelled marble, sunlight, and fire. It had always been Blaise. These new scents took her off guard and by the time she collected herself back together it was her turn.

Carefully she removed her first vial. Severus had taught her the art of potion making and identification the moment she had shown interest. They both took great pride in their abilities and she knew she had something to prove as the new girl.

First, she inspected the vial visually, noting the clear colour of the liquid and the quantity of the dosage. Then she opened the vial and cautiously smelled the liquid, but it had no tangible scents. “Veritaserum” she announced and claimed her first points.

For her second potion she repeated the sequence. The colour of the liquid emitted a warm shade of yellow, much like the sun, and it had a faint glow to it. The scent of it was aromatic and sweet, she could pick out flowers and summer fruits. “Euphoria.” She answered in confidence and secured another five points.

Her final potion looked like a pale blue pearl, and it smelled of serenity and it instantly made her feel calm. “Calming draught.” She placed the vial back to the box and smiled as Slughorn awarded her yet another five points. Corners of her lips twitched in a self-satisfied smirk, far from humble.

Both James and Sirius missed one potion each and although she knew they weren’t particularly easy ones the potion master in her mind found that unacceptable still. Severus’ voice rang though her head and called it an unacceptable excuse for failure. If she had gotten a potion wrong in his presence, she knew he would make her brew it over and over again until she committed to the memory.

Next turn actually belonged to Severus and he had an air of superiority around him as he announced each of his potions while giving detail explanations of his conclusions. Clytemnestra smiled, realising the there was no difference between student Severus and Professor Severus.

Marcus Avery missed two potions and earned himself a scorn from his housemate.

Both Narcissa and Lucius identified theirs correctly. Lucinda, Lysander, and Augustus also made no mistakes and by the time they had reached the final student the Slytherins were ahead by twenty points. Evan Rosier identified two of his potions correctly but missed on the third one.

Clytemnestra was pleased regardless since the Slytherins won by a margin.

Once could argue that the look on Slughorn’s face was favouritism as he announced the winners. He congratulated the Gryffindors for their efforts and told them he was proud of them. Sirius grunted behind him, and heard James console him by saying ‘there, there’.

Slughorn allowed them to have a break as he prepared for the second period of the class. He wrote the recipe for the common antidote to Amortentia to his blackboard. He then cleared his throat to claim their attention. “Last year you all brewed Amortentia with impressive success and while effects of such potions are temporary the knowledge to treat them is still vital. Especially for those of you that will pursue careers in healing.”

Clytemnestra already knew the recipe by heart and as Slughorn neared the end of his speech she had already started her preparatory work.

Under the strict tutelage of Severus, she had learned to question every step of potion making. He had drilled into her mind that she had to understand how the ingredients worked, their individual properties as well as their harmony together. He had taught her to question everything and make alterations when necessary.

That was why she prepared certain ingredients different than suggested in the recipe. Instead of following the recipe written she chose to do what she knew was best.

Noticing her errors, Remus decided to offer a helping hand. “Umm, you are doing it wrong.”

Clytemnestra turned to the boy and smiled at him. “Books and recipes are of course helpful tools but to follow them blindly is a mistake I can’t afford to make.”

Remus huffed and turned back to his work, although he did mutter under his breath. “Slytherin arrogance, why am I even surprised.”

She added her first ingredients into the potion mix, then gently tapped on Remus’ shoulder. “I am arrogant that much is true, but I am also very good at what I do. Have a wager with me, we both brew as we know how to and at the end of the class, we will see which is of better quality. If you win you will humble me of course, which I must admit is a rare opportunity for many.”

Remus raised his brow, trying to decide. “If you win?”

Clytemnestra grinned. “I tutor you for potions.”

Now he just seemed confused. “Why?”

Clytemnestra shrugged, but offered him a genuine smile. “You look at your work as if you are being held hostage here. I am not sure if it is blatant disinterest or something different, but that kind of attitude leads to mistakes, and I am too vain to sacrifice my eyebrows to potions accident.” She tilted her chin, corrected her posture, almost as if she were posing for him. “You can understand I am simply too fond of my face. So, do we have a deal?”

He thought the arrogance and vanity in her was incredible, Remus would love to take her down a peg. “If I win you also do my prep work for the rest of the year.”

Both of them observed each other carefully as they brewed, and he was outraged at times at how blatantly she ignored the instructions. But by the end of the class only two potions were deemed good enough to be sent to the infirmary to be used, hers and Severus’.

Of course, being proven to be right was a reward on its own but Clytemnestra still intended to take her win. “Please give me your schedule so I can arrange for a time and place for us to meet.”

Future Remus would have never taken the wager, knowing full well who had been brewing his wolfsbane, but the current Remus learned the hard way.

He looked at her in horror, once he realised, she was serious. “Fuck. You really are gonna tutor me.”

Clytemnestra smiled. “Indeed, but if you don’t improve by the end of semester you can withdraw. However, I am a good teacher and do posses the ability to be nice.” She took her bag and bid everyone goodbye before making her way to art class.

Taking art as an elective was her attempt at therapy. Considering she had no one to really talk to and the fact that everyone she had ever known was dead, she could really use a positive outlet. Since it was a small elective all houses were represented in the class. She found herself a workspace near a boy named Nathaniel, he was a Hufflepuff with blonde hair and absent looking pale blue eyes. In his head was a crown made of sunflowers and daisies. He smiled at her and they immediately strike up a conversation.

Clytemnestra asked for his permission to sketch him while he worked on a block of marble with golden veins. She questioned him about it, and he explained to her that he was working on a gift for his muggle family. He talked about them for a bit and told her that his parents tried their best to understand the magical world but there was only so much they could, so he liked creating art with magic that even they could understand and enjoy. He told her that both his parents worked at a muggle museum and his mom was a sculptor herself.

Listening to Nathaniel talk about his family, his brothers, and his hamsters relaxed Clytemnestra enough that she found herself smiling fondly to the boy, and for a moment the war and the dead did not loom over her.

Her next class was Transfiguration, a boy from her art class Jeremy offered to walk with her which she accepted graciously. He had long black hair in a bun, few magical tattoos that showed on his arms and neck, he had few piercings on his nose and lip. He explained that he was a Ravenclaw prefect for their year and that Gilda had asked her if he could walk her.

Both Gilda and Clytemnestra had art and transfiguration but from what Jeremy said she was going to be late to class to resolve a personal matter.

Clytemnestra did not pry into it, instead engaged Jeremy in small talk until they arrived at their classroom and settled into their assigned seats.

For transfiguration she was paired with a girl named Chloe. She was taller than her, had silky black hair that reached all the way down to her waist, and had deep blue eyes that matched her house colours. Her lips were thin and nose pointy.

Chloe introduced herself politely but refrained from making conversation. She assumed that the girl was either reserved by nature or simply awkward when it came to social interactions. Professor McGonagall entered the classroom, disrupting her thoughts. She asked Clytemnestra to introduce herself to the class and asked her few questions about her previous transfiguration education.

Satisfied by her answers, the Professor moved on to explaining the curriculum for the year. There would be mock exams to prepare for NEWTS and they also would need to turn in an individual research project that they would present at the end of the year. She then took questions from the students regarding the projects, and the exams.

The hour ended quickly and she and the rest of the Slytherins walked towards the dining hall together. “I am afraid I will not be joining you for lunch today.” Clytemnestra explained to Solan after he asked if she could look over something for him. “I promised Lily Evans and her friend Alice for a lakeside picnic.”

Solan scratched his nose as if he were trying to decide whether or not he should say something. “It is encouraged to make friends with other houses, of course but Gryffindors aren’t known for their amity towards us. Please be careful.”

Clytemnestra gave his hand a friendly squeeze, and a charming smile. “If I don’t make it to Alchemy, come save me.”

Solan laughed. “I am not the hero material, but I’ll do my best.”

Once they arrived at lunch, she quickly prepared herself lunch and said goodbye to her friends before making it to the Gryffindor table to meet the girls.

Sirius Black was the first to notice her arrive. He looked up from his conversation and raised an eyebrow at her as elegant as he could muster. “You lost?”

Clytemnestra smirked at him. “Not particularly, no.”

He looked at her suspiciously, expecting an explanation that she would never give. Instead Remus interjected himself into the one-sided interrogation and handed Clytemnestra a parchment. “My schedule, since you seem hell bent on this tutoring arrangement.”

She leisurely browsed the parchment as she spoke. “I wouldn’t necessarily say hell bent but I do feel a certain responsibility.” She paused and lowered the parchment to him so she could point out to two slots. “We’ll meet twice a week. I’ll write to Professor Slughorn about a laboratory we can use without being interrupted, and let you know.”

Sirius had his mouth hanging, then he grabbed the parchment out of her hand. “You’re actually gonna go? Moony you are better than this.”

Remus rolled his eyes to his best friend. “I lost the bet, and you know how I feel about potions.”

James patted him on the shoulder to console. “That’s not really your fault and if you don’t want to go you don’t have to.”

Clytemnestra shook her head. “He’s right, you really don’t have to, but I saw you struggle today, and I do want to help.”

Sirius looked at her with even more suspicion. “Slytherins don’t just help out of the kindness of the heart.”

She frowned ever so lightly. “And what would you know of my heart Mr. Black, we spoke all of two minutes and you are an expect on my hearts affairs?”

He huffed but did not say anything. Instead Peter spoke out. “So why are you actually here?”

Before she could answer, both Lily and Alice stood up with their plates. “For us but Alice thought we should let this play out, she wanted to see how quickly the new girl could hex you.” Lily smirked at Sirius for the last part.

Clytemnestra grinned at Alice. “Pretty quickly actually.” The girls started to walk away from the table as she told a story about a friendly duel she had with Pansy months ago.

They settled under a large tree with the view of the lake at their disposal. Lily conjured them up a picnic blanket and they sat down. For the most part the girls talked about Hogwarts mostly for Clytemnestra’s sake. Alice mentioned Quidditch, and they agreed to a friendly before the classes became too much. Lily asked her some questions about her family and was surprised to know that despite her muggle-born mother Clytemnestra never had much exposure to muggle culture.

Lily looked at her in excitement. “We should remedy that immediately, there are so many amazing movies, and books, and oh you’ll love amusement parks.” Then for a second, she grew self-conscious from making an assumption. “That is of course if you want, I mean you don’t have to.”

Clytemnestra smiled at her warmly, her eyes shining in equal excitement. “I would love that actually. For me, it was never a lack of interest but rather an opportunity. The people raised me were as clueless as I am now. My mom’s parents died before I was born and her only other living relative never didn’t want her. My muggle born friends tried to help, I am particularly fond of muggle snacks, know few things about music, and the fact that muggle fashion is horrid.” The last bit was mostly a joke. “But I would love to learn from you, I’d love to connect with the heritage of my mother.”

Alice scratched her neck before speaking. “At the risk of sounding like a fucking dick, you don’t seem like the rest of the Slytherins we know.”

Lily poked her friend as a warning, but Clytemnestra did not mind. “I very much doubt you know them, and this isn’t a criticism of you or them, from what I understand the history between our houses precede us by couple centuries.” She took a sip of her water before she continued. “It doesn’t make it easier that there is an entire world out there built on hindering the success and rights of muggle-borns. We don’t talk about it and perhaps that is the most dangerous of the problems, but we are children. On one hand we have pure-blood children who are indoctrinated from a very young age by their parents and the society in more subtle way. On the other hand, we have muggle-borns who come into this world at a later stage in life. People hate what is different, what can’t be explained. You are as peculiar to them as they were to you when you came here Lily.” She turned to Alice then. “It can be argued that the other houses aren’t like that, but we know that argument would never hold. The difference is the Slytherin’s wear it like an armour, because of their house history they are accused already so why not use it as a weapon. If you pay attention most of them have muggle-born friends, significant others, and even relatives by marriage. I suppose what I am trying to say is that give them a proper chance, some of them will surprise you and some of them will turn out exactly like you expect them to. We are individuals, not clones of each other and parrots of our family’s ideologies. We never should have inherited the hatred and failures of our ancestors, but we did, we are trying to do our best with what we have for now. I believe though as adults, these will be the people with the power to truly change things[VQ1] .”

Clytemnestra finished and both girls looked at her a bit surprised and bit astonished. Neither had expected her to go into a five-minute speech. There was still much to argue, to explore, and they knew there was more nuance to social inequalities than just abject failures of ancestors but the girls knew they could not unpack all of it in an hour long lunch break. But at least there was a conversation.

For the rest of the lunch the girls probed Clytemnestra with safe questions such as her favourite hobbies, friends, and other similarly non-controversial interest.

Clytemnestra got along with Alice like a house on fire. Lily already found her curious and considered her a maybe-friend.

By the end of their break they all returned to their classes with much to think.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to leave a comment or come find me on tumblr. 
> 
> I really do hope you guys enjoyed this chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter will brings you guys some smiles and feels. 
> 
> Please leave a comment if you enjoy, and feel free to find me on tumblr to geek about HP in general.

Professor Slughorn was very proud of the fact that his newest pupil was taking the initiative to help other students that struggled in their classes. He awarded her with 25 points for her actions and allowed her access to a private research laboratory no other student used, he also promised to have it stocked fully before Clytemnestra begin teaching.

Slughorn was known for taking pride in the accomplishments of his students and he expected great things from especially the Slytherins. Severus for example would become a world renown potioneer, he was sure of that. Lucius Malfoy would take over his family business, as would Lysander Yaxley. Now, he had another star pupil in the making in his hands.

He opened the door to the laboratory for Clytemnestra and handed her the keys. “You’ll make me very proud Miss Zabini, I can tell.” He placed his hand on her shoulder and gave a slight squeeze, he leaned in as if to share a secret with her. “Mr. Lupin is a very fine boy, fine boy indeed but he struggles. It’s great that he has friends like you to help him out.”

Clytemnestra offered him her largest smile. “He does seem like a fine young man, but you are right I did see him struggle. I hope I can help him a little bit, and between you and I Professor but I do consider teaching as a serious career option. Perhaps this experience can help me settle my mind.”

Professor returned his pupils smile in earnest. “Teaching is a noble profession Miss Zabini, to shape minds is a big responsibility. You still are young, and future is wide open to a bright witch such as you.” He looked over her shoulder and saw two man approach them. “Your pupils are here, good luck.” He had a twinkle in his eyes and as he walked past her, he stopped to greet the boys and told them that they were in great hands.

She turned around to see not only Remus but also Sirius who was grinning at her like a maniac. “Bet you didn’t see this one coming.”

Clytemnestra rolled her eyes at him but there was a fond smile on her face. “No, I did not but you’ll do wonders for the scenery.”

Remus hid his laughter in a cough. “Shall we?”

Escorting them inside, Clytemnestra explained to them the terms given to them by Professor Slughorn. Rules were as followed; they were not allowed to test the potions without his supervision, they were not allowed to take them outside the laboratory, and they were not allowed to brew anything that was not covered in class first. They also had to clean and maintain the laboratory themselves as long as they used it.

Both boys selected a workspace for themselves and while Remus started to set his up, Sirius just sat down on the counter. Professor had also provided them few items such as quality cauldrons, scales, and mortars. “Since I was not expecting you Sirius you can take the items Professor put aside for me.”

He looked at her horrified. “I am only here to make sure you don’t eat him alive; I want no part of this.” He pointed to the cauldrons.

Clytemnestra gave him a look that made him gulp. “I am a woman of many appetites Mr. Black, I can eat you alive too so how about you worry little less about Remus here and start thinking of what is good for you. Grab a cauldron.”

Sirius picked up the cauldron and di not argue back, despite his bravado he knew when to shut up. Remus on the other hand seemed highly pleased. He did not bother hiding his laughter this time and when Clytemnestra turned to look at him her eyes were softer, almost as if she were laughing too.

She walked towards Remus’ space and leaned on his counter. “So, I noticed you were nauseous the other day and I do have a confession that I might, out of pure selfish desire to keep my robes clean, cast a spell on you. I’d like to teach that to you if possible.”

“YOU DID WHAT?” Sirius’ roar came from the other side of the room and he had his wand drawn but facing downwards.

Remus looked at him and rolled his eyes. “Calm down, I saw her doing. She’s not as subtle as she thinks she is, and it did help.”

“You let her?” Now Sirius looked more confused than angry.

He shrugged nonchalantly. “I was curious.”

Clytemnestra laughed; she hadn’t realised he’d seen her. “And you thought I would eat him alive.”

Sirius looked between them and raised his hands in resignation. “You two deserve each other, I mean what kind of a lunatic lets a stranger cast a spell on them middle of the class, and what kind of a lunatic actually goes and does it!”

The two accused smiled at each other. “Gods help anyone who underestimates you Remus, you are actually rather attractive like this, have you ever considered switching sides?”

Remus laughed, and shook his head. “I am happy where I am, so show me this spell.”

Clytemnestra demonstrated the hand movements, and then enunciated the words carefully for him. “I learned this from a sword swallower in Romania.”

Sirius actually looked slightly impressed. His general impression of her was not the most favourable, he was man enough to admit he had a large bias against Slytherins and people that generally reminded him of his family. James seemed to like her, and Remus was mostly neutral waiting to see what would happen, Peter was terrified of her, but he was terrified of everyone that looked even the slightest bit predatory. She had long legs, and she walked like she owned the world. Lily and Alice also seemed taken with her. Sirius though, he knew her type. Pretty, and entitled, and couldn’t be bothered with the low-level citizens of the world.

That, however seemed to be untrue, if she was hanging out with the Romanian circus.

Remus picked up the spell rather faster than she anticipated, she took out a small bar of chocolate from her inner pocket and handed it to him. “James slipped it to me that you are awfully fond of these, enjoy.”

He beamed at her and told them that he’d show some personal restraint and save it for after class. Sirius actually smiled and for the first time Clytemnestra saw the soft-hearted man she remembered. She committed that smile to the memory but did not linger her eyes on him. He was suspicious of her as is.

Clytemnestra asked them for their attention before speaking in her, as her friends had previously dubbed, Severus voice. “I was very disappointed to learn that professor Slughorn lets in students with less than Outstanding results, a mistake I personally would not have done but given his age and good nature I can understand his desire for charity.” It was almost as if she could feel Severus pace behind her, guide her. “I plan to cover the more advanced potions that may come up in the practical sections of NEWT exams. Is there a certain one you wish to start with?”

Sirius did not respond very well to her tone, she sounded much like his mother. Perhaps less volatile but she sounded endlessly demanding. He would love to take her down a peg or two, so he offered up the hardest potion he knew. “Veritaserum, if you are okay with it of course.”

Clytemnestra could see a challenge come her way a mile away and in this case their success would be the measure of hers. “Very well. Since I do not have a station of my own today, we will start by doing your prep work and we can start brewing tomorrow.” For the first three minutes she took her time to criticize their workspace. She found Sirius’ space to be too chaotic, while she found Remus’ space to be too minimal. Remus did not think ahead since he was rushing to be done with, he only had what he would need immediately. “You must have an order which you can rely on.” She echoed Severus. “An order which you can remember without thinking, you can find what you are looking for blind folded. In potion making order is your friend, so I hope by the time we finish these lessons you both will have an order which you can rely on.”

She then asked them to list the ingredients and explain how one would prepare them. “No.” She simply said before explaining further. “The ingredients are correct of course, but the textbook way of preparing them just wasted precious and expensive ingredients. Forget textbooks, focus on the reason why you would need these ingredients and in what capacity. Do we want the paste, the juice, the skin? We must think before we do, potions, when brewed ill can cause injuries, coma, and even death. That’s also why we must understand what we are brewing so if needed we can conjure antidotes.” She took the rest of the class explaining to them in detail the intricacies of measuring, cutting, juicing, and skinning ingredients.

By the end she knew she was losing them, she sighed and realised she had been more Severus than herself through out. “I apologise.” She said in all her sincerity. “Potions has always been a passionate subject in my family, one of our family friends that took me in…” she paused, and let out a soft sigh once more, “he was a brilliant potions master and he taught me rather strictly. One time he almost fed an ill brewed potion to a toad, knowing fully well that it would kill it. All to teach us a lesson. I was mostly him today and not myself, I shall do my best tomorrow and perhaps I too can learn something.”

Remus wrinkled his nose. “That doesn’t sound nice.” He had a stronger opinion on slaying of innocent toads, but he kept it to himself.

Clytemnestra let out a dry laugh. “Oh, he was not a nice man, nor a good one. He was just complicated, and he did his best to try and love. I just don’t think he was well equipped for it.”

Sirius pushed his hair behind his ear, looking uncomfortable to an extent. “Is this why you are doing all this? To feel closer to this person?”

She actually looked surprised, her bottom lip sucked in between her lips and she chewed as she thought of an answer. “Perhaps? I haven’t thought of that before but perhaps.” She chuckled. “Mostly I wanted to wipe that smug look off of Remus’ face.”

Sirius did not look convinced. “Still all this for bragging rights?”

Clytemnestra actually looked at him and allowed him to see some of the pain she was feeling inside. “Everyone I know is dead Sirius.” For the first time she referred him by his first name. “Did you consider that maybe I am trying to make friends?”

Remus looked at her in horror as she so nonchalantly declared the death of many. Though he suspected it was not nonchalance but tiredness from having to say it over and over again. It was similar to the way he peppered in the fact that he was a werewolf when Lily eventually figured out enough clues to ask questions.

Sirius saw her maybe the first time, he was curious how she ended up at Hogwarts in seventh year, but no one really knew and now that he knew he wished he did not. The bell chimed in, saving the three of them from having to acknowledge what was revealed. Instead they all gathered their things and rushed to their next classes, promising to return tomorrow.

Clytemnestra was actually surprised to see them the next day however, she assumed they’d never come back but it seemed[VQ1] her teaching tactics had not scared them off entirely. This time she had a cauldron and workstation ready for herself. The room was also stocked with the best ingredients as Professor had promised.

Both boys were already in the laboratory by the time Clytemnestra entered, she was late by a minute and she felt bad about it. Her hair was a mess, and there was mud stuck to her hairline which she had not noticed yet. “I am glad to see you both, I supposed Gryffindors are truly braver than most.”

Remus smiled at her. “We have our moments.” He then noticed the mud but wasn’t entire sure if he should point it out or not.

Sirius, however had no similar dilemma. “You got mud on hair.”

Clytemnestra used one of the cabinet windows as a mirror and did her best to clean it up. She knew she needed a shower, but she had not found the time yet.

Remus pointed towards her general direction, an apologetic smile on his face. “You look a little dishevelled, one might even go as far as to say you look less than pristine.”

Ouch. He knew how to hurt, and Clytemnestra grinned at him for it. “Quidditch try outs.” She declared, the allowed her grin to spread even further her face. “I got in!”

Remus gave her a high five, and even Sirius mumbled a “congratulations.”

She thanked them both and started the lesson. “I usually work in silence myself but feel free to talk amongst yourselves as long as you remember the work and keep paying attention to it.”

Both boys nodded and visibly relaxed upon seeing her less tyrannical approach to today’s lessons. Since she had her workspace today, she started the lesson by showing different ingredients, how she prepared them compared to the textbook recipe, and she asked them why she might have done it so. For example, she asked Sirius why she crushed ginger instead of chopping it thinly as instructed. He actually had a good guess and earned himself a smile. Then she asked Remus, “Why do you think I am dissecting the heart of the snake instead of putting him in as a whole?”

Remus looked at his own dissected snake, thinking. “You are looking for a specific organ?”

Clytemnestra chuckled. “Are you asking or telling?”

“Telling.”

“Then you are correct.” She smiled at him proudly, both boys were actually very smart and picked things up very quickly. Considering they were rule breakers, she assumed their desire to follow instructions came from pure laziness, but she would teach them better.

She had high hopes for them both.

Clytemnestra took out the heart of the snake and set it aside. “This is gruesome I know, and for the most part the other organs and the skin has no effect on the potion, but the venom does. In rare cases venom remains even after death and it can dilute the effects of the serum. If you remember the 1966 case of French Ministry v. Chevalier, the case was thrown out due to the suspicions of tainted Veritaserum.”

Sirius seemed curious, he separated the heart himself and inspected it as if the answers were in it. “I remember my father talking about certain rituals where the person ate the beating heart of snakes, but that’s dark magic isn’t it?”

Clytemnestra shook her head. “Not necessarily no, your father was probably right since like many things the act itself got adapted for darker intents but the practice itself goes back to an ancient civilisation of wizards that saw sun as their gods and snake as his avatar. Heart of a snake is also known as internal sun, which represents truth as well as vitality, and strength. The latter properties as you have mention has been adapted for darker rituals but in this case what we are after is the heart’s truth-seeking capabilities”

Sirius thought that through before saying anything else. He automatically disliked anything approved by his father, but the existence of the potion preceded him and as much as he hated to admit he knew she was right, there was no such thing as an evil ingredient. People could adapt even the best of intentions to dark magic, and that had been a lesson he learned in his family from a very young age.

Despite his pure-blood upbringing James had never been exposed to the knowledge Sirius had been. Amongst all his friends perhaps Clytemnestra was the only one that exceeded him in knowledge in terms of dark magic and rituals. He wasn’t sure how much that idea eased him but at least she didn’t make him feel evil for knowing these things. Some of which he even didn’t dare talk to his friends about, the less they knew was the better. He was ashamed to know dark magic and ashamed to have used it himself before.

Seeing his distraction Clytemnestra decided to give him a moment and focus on Remus instead. “How are you holding up, corpses aren’t known for their rosy smells.”

He chuckled, then shrugged. “The spell works mostly; it doesn’t take away the smell but at least I can keep my lunch where it belongs.”

She smiled, pleased with herself. “I’ll see if I can do anything about the smell.”

Remus shrugged. “I won’t hold my breath but that’d be fucking awesome.”

Clytemnestra spoke to him a little while longer, but then continued the lesson knowing Sirius had his head back in the conversation. They talked about few changes she had made to the recipe and as she explained her reasoning behind them, they took notes and followed her steps through the rest of the ingredient preparation. If she saw something, she considered subpar, she would make them redo it but not without help. She wanted them to improve and she wanted them to learn.

Severus taught strictly and without mercy. He was kind to her and Draco mostly but even then, anything less than perfect was never acceptable. In most parts of her life she had tried to emulate that attitude and because of that she had achieved high in every endeavour but there was a price to it she knew. This time she was trying to allow herself the freedom to be messy at times, to enjoy herself, to make mistakes even because otherwise her sanity or what remained of it would abandon her too.

Clytemnestra ended the lesson two minutes before the bells chimed. “Thank you both again for coming, and I will see you next week.” She gathered her things and waited for them to leave before she locked up and left for her art classes.

Perhaps Sirius was right, and this was an attempt to find something lost, and knowing him she knew he always had strong intuitions but whatever the reason she was glad that she did this. She enjoyed spending time with them and teaching them something she loved and getting to know them a little better in return.

She hoped that whatever she was searching she would get to find it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to leave comments and remember to hydrate.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please remember to leave a review! I cherish every single one.

Clytemnestra watched the water through the glass wall separating the common room and the black lake. It was too early for the rest of the house to be awake, especially considering it was a Saturday morning, so she took the time to reflect on her inner most thoughts. The only source of light came from the fireplace. She had a blanket over her legs, a half-read book still open on the table to her side. In her hands she held a potion with potent red colour and a light silvery glow.

Her thoughts went back to her last day at Hogwarts, the final battle that they had lost. The faces of her friends looked back at her with eerie dead eyes. Her lover laid open at the ground, mangled beyond recognition, bottom half of his torso missing. Pansy’s head was cut clean, her eyes open in terror, mouth hanging low in a never-ending scream. Theo was devoured by that snake of his, nothing left for her to see but even then, she could see his eyes as clear as day, accusing her of being alive when none of them were. Draco consumed by the eternal flames while trying to destroy yet another Horcrux.

One by one they all fell like toy soldiers, all but her.

In his mind she had always been his favourite, and never in a million years could he had seen her betrayal coming but that’s why he would savour her, that’s why he’d keep her.

She had broken his heart.

Clytemnestra remembered running to the dungeons, she remembered the cold echoes of her own footsteps, and the hyena-like laughter of Bellatrix as she chased her down like a deer. Fear running through her blood like poison, her muscles burning with overexertion, and she knew somewhere everyone she ever loved laid dead.

Severus’ gentle touch on her shoulder pulled her back to reality, her eyes returned to this world and Clytemnestra did her best not to let him see her tremble. He spoke softly as to not disturb the still sleeping, and she suspected that he also feared spooking her further. His eyes settled on the vial between her palms. “– and whom do you plan on poisoning this afternoon?”

She rose from her seat just a little so she could turn around to face him, an absent smile played on her lips and she pointed towards the second armchair next to hers, separated only by a small end table. “No one,” her voice also low, “but the day is young.”

He took the offered seat. “One might even say too young. It is awfully early for you to be making sad eyes to a vial of poison.” He did not mock her; in his own way he was asking if she was alright.

To him the girl had been a mystery, she was absent at times from her own mind but when she spoke, they all had an intense desire to listen to what she have to say. She commanded a room in a way that reminded him of The Dark Lord. He had met him only a handful of times, but she had a similar charm to him, she made people feel special and seen, in turn they all wanted to please her. They did not fear her however, they wanted to draw laughter from her lips at any given chance and it felt like a blessing when she did so. No, they did not fear her, instead they loved her. She went out of her way for everyone. Clytemnestra could discuss foreign politics with Augustus for hours. Literature and poetry with Chloe. Potions with him, and he had to admit she was almost as good as him, though his ego would never allow him to hold them equal.

To admit such a thing would devastate him.

Severus knew how dangerous she was from that alone. He had seen the ease the Dark Lord bend people to his dark will. He’d grown up around violence, his father beating him and his mom mercilessly, and he had his own undeniable cruel streak too. He knew those that were predator and those that were prey, Clytemnestra was no one’s prey.

Clytemnestra smiled at him. “Solitude is perhaps one of my most darling sins, but I cannot help myself, there is beauty to be found in loneliness.”

The two always had a complicated relationship but they loved each other as much as two people in their circumstances could. She could have blamed him for many things and on very dark days she did blame him for the deaths of her parents, for the divide between herself and Harry, and all the lost years she could have had with them. Equally she loved watching him brew in his study, and he would carry her on his shoulders sometimes so she could see better. He would read her stories before bed, and she remembered him trying to make a chocolate soufflé for her which took him eight tries. During term times he lived at Hogwarts and she stayed and got raised by the Malfoys, that too she loved.

To her Severus had always been her brightest light and darkest curse.

He opened her palm and silently requested to see the vial. “Baneberry Poison, brewed almost to perfection.” He inhaled the fruity and acidic aroma of it. Two drops would be enough to kill a grown man. “Of course, I should not have to remind you this is a highly controlled and even illegal substance.” Through his smile she knew he would never turn her in.

Clytemnestra let him keep the vial. “I brewed it this morning, took me seven hours and I got very little sleep, but I know I made no mistakes.”

Severus leaned towards her a little, curiosity reaching to his eyes. “Then why the sad eyes?”

She sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose much like Lucius did in moments of stress. “Do you think I am lucky to have survived or cursed for it? I don’t personally know, and I find myself unable to care. How many tragedies a child can survive before the overwhelming desire to reunite with the dead takes over. I personally found the answer before my trip to here.” Her eyes turned to look at his, his breath caught in his throat knowing what was coming and still he leaned further close. “I brewed the same poison, emptied the entire vial.”

His mouth hanging low in morbid awe. “Impossible.”

Clytemnestra let out a dry, unamused chuckle. “I agree yet here I am with a mystery on my hands, perhaps you can help, hmm?”

Severus pulled back as though someone slapped him, he placed the vial onto the table between them and spoke harshly but in whispers. “I have no desire to assist in your suicide.”

Clytemnestra waved her hand dismissively. “Despite my love of dramatics, I no longer feel the desire. I am a powerful witch; do you truly think I could not have killed myself by now if I so desired it.”

He raised his brow, this time to mock her. “By your track record I’d say you do need the help.”

Her laughter filled the room and she clasped her hands to her mouth to stifle it. Her shoulders shook for a good minute before she had it in her to respond. “Such cruelty becomes you, but no, I truly am only curious. It is not in my nature to fail you see; I am highly unfamiliar with the notion. I just would like to know what could have happened.”

Severus’ eyes grew big and he seemed amused by her reaction. Slytherins never minded his cruel streak but if Lily had heard him, she’d scold him like a child. “A healthy dose of curiosity I suppose, I’ll see what I can find.” He palmed the vial and offered her a smile. “Now, if you excuse me, I am going back to bed.”

Clytemnestra returned his smile but stopped him half way. “How come you’re awake anyway?”

“I saw the light from the fireplace, thought someone forgot to put it out again.” He shrugged, then skipped the stairs back up to the dorms.

Clytemnestra took this as her cue to leave, thinking she could get few more hours of sleep before breakfast. She snuck back into her dorm as quiet as possible and the moment her head hit the pillow; she was asleep.

Nobody had seemed to bother waking her up for breakfast which she found odd, but she allowed herself the luxury of staying in bed [VQ1] a little longer before heading out to hunt for some food. She dressed in casual robes, braided her hair down, and applied some light magic to her face to get rid of her eye bags. Stress and sleep deprivation was not a good look on her.

She coaxed the house elves into giving her some food and found herself a quiet place near the lake. She opened the book of crosswords she brought with her and started on her latest one while she ate her cucumber sandwiches and fruits.

For few hours she managed to occupy herself, then she decided to go to the library to continue her research. She did not feel like spending time with her friends today, for some reason the conversation she had with Severus had put a serious toll on her.

Not many people would understand the complexity of her relationship with Severus but to see him so young and be reminded of the adult man he soon would become. As a child she so often tried to make him laugh, or even to smile because she seldom see him do so, and when he did, she felt special, she felt loved. Laughter fit him, though he would never admit so himself. She remembered climbing trees, making silly faces at him, and chasing birds and butterflies in hopes of amusing him. But he always looked at her with mixture of permanent sadness and pride, she never admitted out loud but she knew that despite all the love he had for her, at times he could not stand to look at her for all he ever saw was Lily. She also knew that was why he left her with the Malfoy’s during the school year. He loved her yes, but he simply could not stand her at times. He had never been abusive to her, not even a raised voice but Clytemnestra always knew, and she always tried to change that about him. Until much later in life when Narcissa told her the entire story with her sincerest apologies.

Clytemnestra sighed in resignation, frustrated over the fact that she had been reading the same paragraph for the fourth time. Her thoughts had overtaken her yet again. Someone cleared her throat behind her, and she looked surprised to see Augustus Nott. She waved her hand and a chair magically pulled itself, a silent invite.

He gracefully took the seat, placed his books and homework parchment to the shared table and took out her quill and ink pot. “I must write some letters home, but I simply cannot bring myself to. Father and mother are awfully opinionated as of late.”

She looked up to meet his eyes. “I have faith in you that you will find the words to placate your family whist you plan for your masterful escape from their scheming clutches, but of course if you ever need help I do find great pleasure in the game.”

He laughed softly, “I need no help, but I do have questions. You and Severus were not as quiet as you hoped for and I am a light sleeper.” Clytemnestra frowned ever so lightly but said nothing, so he took that as an invitation to ask his questions. “You do not seem like an individual that would be so easily swayed by despair, so I wonder what could have been more frightful to you than death.”

Clytemnestra’s frown disappeared, instead there was an almost serene smile on her face. “Loneliness. I shall never know the warmth of my lovers arms again. The healing kiss of my mother. Soothing voice of my father. And when I fell how quickly my brother pulled me to my feet, placing kisses to my scabbed knees when we were both toddlers and knew nothing but love and magic in this world. The world feels cold without them, and to never be able to acknowledge the deaths of those I have loved the most still wounds me. There is life to be found in death, there is love to be sought after but we must die only when it is our time, and you and I both know it is not mine yet. Still, I fear.”

Augustus held her gaze as she spoke, then smile at her once she finished. “You are awfully morbid my friend.”

She laughed, and then clasped her hands over her mouth to stop herself, much like that morning. Her shoulders shook in silence, and when she looked up, she saw Augustus smiling at her in fondness.

He patiently waited for her to finish. “I lost my father when I was young, I remember very little of him aside from the funeral. Mother married soon after and he insists I call him ‘father’, though I loathe him with passion. He intends to marry me to one of his nieces to have access to the Nott vault and the name, but I sooner die than allow him the pleasure. I can’t say what is worse, to remember or to forget?” He did not wait for an answer. “He found me crying once and told me I could not miss what I did not remember, but he is wrong. The same way someone who has never been free can miss their freedom, I miss him. I had years to heal, but I do wonder some days, did I really heal?”

Clytemnestra reached out to him, gently placing her hand over his. “I doubt we ever will, but I suppose we must live regardless.”

“Then we shall.” Augustus lowered his eyes to the empty parchment, avoiding her eyes due to shame perhaps or the helplessness of it all. He remembered spending nights at the Nott library pouring over every book on necromancy. How much he desired to speak to his father for one last moment, to bring him back even if only for a second. “If I may be so selfish as to ask you for a favour, would you grant it to me without knowing the terms?”

She looked up from her book, her eyes carried many questions she did not ask. “I would grant you the world my friend but let us start small, a favour you said?”

He did not know why he dared ask her of this, and he did not know why he did so now, but he felt safe in her presence and he knew she would understand. “Forbidden forest then, around 2am we can meet downstairs and make our way there. I’ll take care of everything. Please dress appropriately.”

Clytemnestra nodded and promised she would be there. In silence they continued to work together, she poured over her books and he wrote the letters he had been putting off. Both their minds occupied with ancient thoughts of death. Silence only emphasising the emptiness left in their hearts.

Second bell for the lunch rang and Augustus started to collect his things. “Will you be joining us, or do you wish me to sneak out some food for you?” Her absence that morning had been noted by all.

Up from her own seat, she declared her intent to join them. Her mood had improved considerably though she was still tentative about rejoining the society. Slytherins were astute observers if nothing, they would know in an instant that her mind had been claimed by the darkness that day. A darkness so private that she wished to keep it all to herself but perhaps there was no point to it at all. Severus knew and now so did Augustus.

He walked her to the great hall and carried her book bag as custom, they talked very little, but the silence was enjoyed by them both. Augustus opened the doors for her and noted how her demeanour changed as she entered the room. A perfect mask, he thought.

No doubt in his mind that she belonged amongst their people.

Clytemnestra sat down next to Narcissa and she greeted her like an old friend. No one asked questions about her absence but they all could see the cracks in her soul. The despair that sometimes clouded her eyes, the loneliness that echoed through her words, if she was art she’d be a tragedy.

Evan Rosier pulled her into a conversation. Gilda gave her a bowl of chicken soup, and Lysander handed her the bread basket. Narcissa told her to eat some vegetables, and Marcus Avery insisted she leave room for the assortment of desserts.

Perhaps she was a tragedy, but she was one of them now, and that meant everything to them in a world that saw them as a hostile force. Fraternity meant everything to them, and they took care of their own to the point of devotion even. She was no different.

Clytemnestra basked in the gentle attention of her friends, and it seemed even Lucius had granted her a day pass on the account of her bitter morning. In peace she finished her lunch and decided to waste her afternoon playing chess with her friends, getting tipsy on expensive wine, and being fed grapes by Lysander who red her eighteenth century love poetry.

Eventually Augustus disappeared before dinner and she did not see him until their meeting. Clytemnestra found him standing in front of a circle lit by candles. In the middle was a man, motionless and on his knees. She raised an eyebrow to Augustus, a faint smile on her lips. “I hadn’t realise we were at the human sacrifice stage of our relationship.”

He invited her into the circle, offering her a thin book written in ancient greek. “The others would help me in a heartbeat, but you have such coldness in your heart. You must understand how I yearn for a last goodbye.”

Clytemnestra had sadness fill her eyes, but she did understood indeed. “You mean to bring him back.”

“If only for a moment.” Augustus confirmed. “I never dared before, not until we spoke today, but I must try if I intent to hold onto my sanity any longer.”

Inspecting the book, she went over the instructions with precision. Most books about the dark arts were written in archaic languages and those that grew up in certain houses knew these languages as well as their own. She remembered plethora of tutors educating the next generation of Malfoys long before Hogwarts even started for them. This book was old and held together by magic and will power. “You found this at the Nott library I assume?”

He nodded in confirmation. The Nott Family library was probably the most developed private library in Europe in regard to the forbidden magic and history. Rivalled only by the Malfoy library.

Clytemnestra looked up from the book to inspect the circle he had created. “The circle will hold whatever may come but this you can never take back. Be sure of it and you shall have my support.”

He presented her with a ceremonial chalice and dagger. “How many would you slaughter just for a goodbye.”

She took a hold of the chalice and took her place in front of the sacrifice. “Too many.” She said with no regrets in her voice, nor any judgement.

Augustus stayed behind the sacrifice, one hand on the man’s shoulder to steady him and the other held the dagger in anticipation. His voiced echoed inside the circle as he recited the words from the ancient text, calling for ancestors and when it was time to pay the toll he did so without mercy. He tilted the head of the man to the side and slit his throat in cold efficiency. Clytemnestra caught every drop of blood in her chalice, she stood there until he bleed dry. Through out it all, Augustus kept reciting the text and magic felt very potent in their circle. Thick with promises.

Blood from the chalice vaporized as Augustus came to the end of his chant, the red smoke entered the mouth of the sacrifice and his body vibrated violently until his eyes opened.

Red, deathless.

Clytemnestra stood still, watching in awe to see if this truly was the man they intended to call forth. Then the sacrifice spoke and called for his son. She could see the visible change in Augustus, the breath he was holding for dear life escaped his lips and he went to his father willingly.

Despite having to stay inside the circle, Clytemnestra made the active choice to not listen in on their private conversation. She turned around from them and watched the forest instead.

Dark magic such as this had drawn many creatures to their circle but non dared come near it. Blood magic, deathless magic was dangerous and all consuming. Even creatures knew when to stay away from the false sweetness of it all. They simply watched until there was a light thud of a body dropping and the forest went silent.

Clytemnestra turned around to see Augustus crying, she stepped over the sacrifice to hold her friend. He cried into her shoulder, soaking her robes but she did not care. She held him tight against her and let grief wash away from his body.

Eventually he pulled back, his eyes bloodied and lip still quivering. “He did not want to stay. I… I told him I would keep studying and that I would find a more permanent solution, but he said he did not wish to stay. That he loved me, but he must see me in death.”

Clytemnestra dried his tears, “Then you shall see him death, but for now we must grieve.”

He nodded weakly as if he had no power left in his body to argue, instead he closed the circle and dropped to the ground in exhaustion. Clytemnestra helped him to a near by stone and sat him down while she cleaned away the evidence. The sacrifice would be devoured by the creatures of the forest and so she left him where it was. This deep in the woods no one would stumble upon here before the creatures did.

No one questioned the late return of their friends, or the blood on their garments, or the tear stains. Lucius handed them glasses of fire whiskey and they sat in front of the fire place without uttering a single word. For Clytemnestra, the idea of such sacrifice was not forbidden, she had been in many rituals such as these. Her sadness, her shock came from her own grief, the idea that she could never say goodbye even if hundred sacrifices at her feet.

For Augustus it was the shock of first blood spilled, never before he had killed a person. Then the elation of seeing his father, the opportunity to say goodbye. The words of his father made him understand why Clytemnestra would consider such fate for herself, the appeal of death when all was dead but him.

Still he would not go, not until his time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I am very inconsistent with publishing but I am doing my very best. Please a leave a review after the tone. BEEEEP.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, back by unpopular demand is me! I love this story but as you know real life has a tendency to fuck shit up and I was not in a good headspace to write as of late. I am slowly starting to return to my groove. So hopefully this chapter has been worth your wait. I apologize for the delays but can't promise that they won't happen again. 
> 
> Please leave a comment if you enjoy the story so far, I love hearing from you guys and I'd love to learn what you all think so far. 
> 
> ENJOY!

Upon their return late last night no one asked them a single question, instead they huddled close in front of the fire and spoke in hushed tones about trivial matters. Clytemnestra watched Augustus finish his drink in a single gulp and stay silent for most of the night. He did not shake in regret, nor cried but all could tell that something fundamentally had changed within him.

On the other hand, Lucius noted that Clytemnestra had not shown any signs of distress or change. He noted the blood sprayed to her robes, and the easy way she still carried herself. He concluded that she was either a spectacular liar or she had already killed. Perhaps both, he thought to himself and decided to keep an even closer eye on her.

Drunk, warm, and well fed they all soon fell asleep in front of the fire. She was tucked between Lysander and Solan, safe in their embrace. It reminded her of all the sleep overs they had in the manor, and how they camped at the gardens one summer. Lucius hopelessly trying to help them make a campfire, then giving up and calling Dobby to take over instead. That summer they had been ten, and they ate chocolate and candy and plenty of cold lemonade. Then they had cuddled in front of their fire, only to wake up back in their bed. Magic felt so innocent back then.

Narcissa, being the responsible one, woke them all up around six am to get ready for the day. Clytemnestra took extra time in the showers and let the cold centre her back to reality. She wore a black jumper and fitted trousers as well as lovely autumn boots. She tamed her hair into a braid over her shoulder and did her make up in bold colours. Satisfied with herself she descended down the stairs only to be greeted by Severus and a mystery box.

He opened up the box, several vials of potion inside. “Good morning.” He shoved a vial to his hand, finding no reason to explain.

She recognised the pepper up potion immediately and emptied the vial. “Thank you Severus, you’re dear.”

Severus acknowledged her with a short nod, then continued to pass around his potions to his fellow classmates, drinking one himself in the process.

Once everyone was peppered up and ready, they left for breakfast. Augustus walked by her side but did not speak a single word to her. However, once they were settled into their table, he started to fill her plate with her breakfast favourites. He took his time to pick the freshest fruits for her, and even peeled her tangerine for her. Still, he did not speak but his actions were understood, not just by her but the whole table.

Clytemnestra read her paper, did her Sunday crossword, and ate her breakfast in equal silence, but she occasionally brushed her hand over his, and bumped their legs together as if to say, ‘you are not alone, you were never alone to begin with’. He smiled warmly at her, something he seldom did then helped her finish her crossword.

Once again Lucius observed them in obvious interest. He knew Augustus since boyhood, their father’s had been friends and so had their grandfathers and so on. Even then it had taken some time for Augustus to trust him, to open up and leave his shell behind. Narcissa, Yaxley’s, and everyone who shared their table had to coax Augustus out of his shell bit by bit, month by month. He had not been privy to their dealings in the woods, but it had changed him fundamentally. Lucius trusted his judgement above all his friends, so he started to question his own judgement about Clytemnestra. He wondered, and he did not realise he had been staring until Narcissa gently nudged him out of his curious state. He turned to his fiancé and apologised, offering her a charming smile to earn forgiveness.

Clytemnestra excused herself from the table right around the same time. “Excuse me for the rest of the day please, I am afraid I have a playdate with the other kids. Do be nice to each other while I am gone.” She winked at Narcissa, and Narcissa dismissed her with a single hand gesture, a smile hidden in her face.

Before making it to the Gryffindor table she stopped by the other tables to say good morning to few of her friends and steal some pastries at the same time. Upon her arrival to her destination Lily made room for her between herself and Sirius. After squeezing in, she placed a kiss on Lily’s cheek and greeted the others.

Alice eyed her outfit in appreciation. She was sitting opposite to them with Frank at her side. “You look like you’re about to commit double homicide.”

Clytemnestra flipped her braid from one side to the other, accidentally smacking Sirius in the face. “One down, one more to go?” She laughed, as did the others.

Sirius shoved her, though not with force. “Watch it yeah.”

She shoved him back. “Or else what?”

He grinned at her, and was about to respond when Remus cut in. “Play nice children, it’s too fucking early.”

“Not a morning person then?” Clytemnestra tilted her head slightly to the side, waiting.

Remus responded in a grunt, followed by a stern, “No.”

Clytemnestra smiled at him in pity and left him to his tea, instead she conversed with Lily and Alice talking about a recent party the Gryffindor’s had thrown, apparently to start the term right. The girls talked about the dancing, and the drinking, but especially the drinking games that followed.

“None of us knew just how much of a freak Peter was.” Alice nudged Peter lightly, her teasing gentle.

“It’s always the quiet ones.” James laughed and Peter blushed.

It hurt her heart to see them like this, knowing despite the love of Marauder’s Peter’s cowardice would win everyday and that her parents were dead because they loved the wrong boy. She wondered if Peter could ever have been different, but she realised she did not care.

“It’s not that bad I promise.” Peter gave her a shy smile and she returned automatically though it did not reach her eyes.

Alice shoved a final piece of crumpet into her mouth and stood up. “I think I’m done, shall we?”

Both girls stood up, and Clytemnestra turned to Remus before they left. “We’ll be doing some potions work, feel free to join us and I can go over your essay with you.” She then gestured to the rest of the boys, “Feel free to bring your entourage.”

James chuckled at her, speaking to no one in particular. “She knows I live there right? She knows she invited me to my own place?”

Everyone ignored him, and she waved at them before leaving with the girls. Lily took one arm while Alice took her other. “Thanks for not antagonizing them.”

Clytemnestra smiled. “They’re making an effort.”

Alice laughed. “Oh, they’re just not sure what to do with you yet, give them time they’ll do something to earn your ire.”

The girls walked arm in arm back to the head’s dormitories and settled in front of the fire place. They all had work to do but it was such a lovely Sunday that they spent their first hour simply chatting idly by. Lily poured them some tea, and eventually they managed to start on some work.

Clytemnestra and Alice mainly focused on their potions essay; meanwhile Lily had already finished hers, so she chose to revise instead. The topic of her essay was about the laws surrounding potion making in the UK and how they compared to other European Wizarding Countries. On the other hand, Alice was writing about the use of certain potions by the Auror department (or broader law enforcement) and how they could aid in the capture and interrogation of Dark Witches and Wizards.

Purpose of these assignments were to understand the cooperation between several disciplines of magic and get an idea about future career plans. If everything went according to plan Clytemnestra would move into a lovely cottage and live out the rest of her days in relative peace. Though she knew that was mostly wishful thinking.

They were all so focused on their work that they did not hear the boys walk in until James cleared his throat loudly to draw their attention. Clytemnestra lifted her head from her parchment and took in the state. It seemed they had played outside like young lads, Remus had dried leaves stuck in his hair and coat, and Sirius had mud on his trousers and grass stains. Peter looked red, and likewise was stained by the mud. It seemed James had been the sole survivor of whatever had ensued between the Marauders.

“What time is it?” Lily lifted her head from her book.

“Way past noon, you guys missed lunch.” Sirius replied, then he lifted a bag to show off “but we are here for the rescue.”

Clytemnestra had not noticed the passage of time and it seemed neither had their companions. The girls cleared their work and made room for the boys on the floor. They brought with them some soups, chicken, curry, and rice, as well as some pudding for after. Remus settled next to her, and Sirius to his side. Meanwhile, James stuck near Lily, and Peter stayed near James.

“Ten points to Gryffindor if I do say so myself, for our efforts.” Sirius made eyes at Lily as she smelled the delicious aroma of the lentil soup.

Clytemnestra gently poked him. “Thank you,” but then she grinned, “you didn’t spit in it did you?”

Remus shook his head in amusement. “No funny business I promise.” She smiled at them both and lifted her cup of soup in delight.

From Alice came an obscene moan as she shoved curry and rice into her mouth. “I am starving, seriously dudes you are the best.”

James made a joke about her having a bottomless stomach and handed her a piece of sourdough bread before sharing with the rest of them.

During their late lunch, the girls mostly ate and listened while the boys talked about Quidditch, some things they did during the summer, and a concert Sirius wanted to go to. It was a band she had never heard of and he explained that it was a muggle band, and they did punk.

Clytemnestra smiled, admitted that her knowledge of music was mostly limited to classical music. Upon hearing this Sirius mimicked being shocked and went on to educate her on the finest of both Wizarding and Muggle music.

“Can’t believe you’ve never heard of any of these bands, I mean were you raised in a far away underground cult?”

“No, I was raised by pure-bloods, though I suppose they did try to the best of their abilities. I think both mother and father enjoyed timeless things, I think they thought that if time stopped around them nothing could harm us again.”

Sirius jumped slightly when he got pinched by an angry looking Alice, who whispered to him to have some fucking tact.

“Oh no, it’s okay.” Clytemnestra interjected, “I am sure everyone has some questions.”

Lily looked at her with concern. “Doesn’t mean we should ask, I mean, can we?”

Clytemnestra nodded, “Everyone gets one question and I get first pick from the pudding.”

James gestured towards the spread of desserts and allowed her to choose, she debated for a while before settling for a salted caramel chocolate cake.

First question came from Lily. “You said your mum was muggle-born?” She had asked this of her before but each time she let more information slip free.

Clytemnestra made a humming noise, responding after swallowing her bite. “Yes, I don’t remember much about her or my dad, they passed away when I was still a baby. I call my adoptive parents mother and father; they were the ones who raised me after all. From what I know of my mom, she was beautiful and kind, and very brave too. She loved books, and dried flowers between the pages. She married young and died young. In a few years I’ll be older than she ever got to be.”

Suddenly asking her questions did not seem like the best idea but they were also still very intrigued. Sirius remembered how he hated knowing after he learned more about her in potions tutoring, yet they seemed incapable of stopping themselves.

James asked the second question. “You said you studied at Durmstrang, tell us about that?”

“Ooh yes, I’ve had cousins that went there, they were talking about how advanced it is.” Sirius encouraged her, hoping to navigate a less invasive topic.

Clytemnestra took her time to respond. “I suppose compared to Hogwarts' curriculum it is advanced, especially in terms of what you call in here the dark arts. Far be it from me to dispute the ill intentions of many but what we learn is that there is nothing inherently good or evil about magic. It also operates with the idea that by learning more advanced and perhaps morally dubious magic in a more controlled environment we’re gaining the knowledge to identify, use, and defeat it in the future.” She took a slight pause. “We take Quidditch very seriously there and the house system is different, and I think I like it more here on that count. The library is magnificent, and if you can sneak out to the upper levels of the castle the view of the snowy mountains is breathtaking. It’s snow as far as the eye can see, snow and forest.”

“That sounds beautiful.”

“It was.”

“How about your friends?” Peter asked though realised too late the disapproving looks of his friends, telling him not to.

Clytemnestra took in a deep breath and smiled mostly to herself. “Draco, Pansy, Theodore, and Blaise. They were my best friends. Draco was my adoptive brother, according to our mother we took to each other the moment we saw each other. She also said that we had the most uncanny gift of getting each other into trouble. Pansy and I met as children since our families were close, her parents loved to travel so she stayed most summers with us if not the majority of the year. She was my sister in many ways, she could cast a mean hex and not have a single hair out of place. Theodore and I met in school actually, he became Draco’s friend first then mine. He was awfully shy but incredibly smart. He got into as much trouble as us but if he smiled, he’d get away with anything. Then of course there is Blaise, I was going to marry him once upon a time.”

Despite knowing he ran out of questions Peter could not help but ask, “What happened?”

“He got mauled to death by a werewolf whilst trying to save another student’s life.”

Remus froze, the sheer terror of her statement ran through him like a knife, cold sweat gathered at the base of his neck and his legs ached with the desire to run. He had always been a monster, his parents told him so ever since he got bitten, he saw it in the way his mother could never meet his eyes, and how his father avoided him, neither of them willing to touch him. He remembered the first time James shook his hand at the Gryffindor table, right after their sorting, how he felt both relief and terror.

His face lacked colour as he turned to face Clytemnestra, carrying the same enthusiasm of a man being led to his execution. He knew she did not know, how could she? But still the fear he felt was primal, cultivated over the years and only eased amongst friends.

Clytemnestra ran her hand over his shoulder and the length of his arm until they were holding hands. “My friend Theodore was so afraid of werewolves. Do you have the same fear?” Her voice was so innocent, so compassionate.

Remus shook his head but did not reply, of course he did not fear werewolves, but he supposed in a way he did both feared and despised them.

She gave his hand a squeeze. “It’s okay you know, if you are scared of them but I think they are just like people. I think they are no more capable of committing evil than us.”

“But, during the full moon they…” Remus wasn’t sure why he argued against himself, why he held onto his own fears so tightly when she was giving her an out.

Clytemnestra shook her head, a soft smile on her lips as if she somehow understood. “Evil requires two things, intent being the most important. Can you say that a lion is evil for killing the gazelle? Or the eagle that swoops down to capture the hare? They go where their nature takes them, they have no ill intent to commit evil, only the intent to feed themselves and their young.” She paused for a moment to think of another example. “Unforgivable curses for example, they are not the hardest curses to cast but many can’t perform them. The intent to kill, to torture, or possess someone so thoroughly, these are strong, terrible urges but many can’t follow through because despite their anger the intent to do those acts is what matters, that powers the curse, that alone sustains it. To be evil you must have the clear intent to plot, and to commit these acts. During a full moon, a werewolf is not in control, it has no intentions, no sound mind or understanding to decide on what act is good or evil. A werewolf is no more culpable than the lion. Ours was a tragedy but you should know there is no need to fear such things, the most evil part of any creature is their human part. All that I love, I have lost to humans and their good or evil intentions.”

She let go of her hand and changed sides with Sirius so that he could comfort his friend. Sirius gladly took to his side and for a while no one spoke. He had his arm around Remus and whispered to his ear words of comfort, though he knew it would not be enough.

Eventually Peter broke the silence. “I am sorry, I, I shouldn’t have asked.”

“Remus seems more distressed than me, perhaps you should apologise to him.”

Remus straightened his posture but still stayed close to his friend. “I am much better; thank you and I am sorry for your loss.”

There was a complicated expression in his face, but Clytemnestra did not bother to decipher him, she would afford him this privacy. “So am I” she said as she stood up, her things still on the floor already waiting for her return. “I think I am going to take a little walk. Remus, I’ll take a look at your essay once I am back.”

Lily gave a dirty look at Peter before catching up with Clytemnestra on the hallway. She did not say anything to acknowledge her existence, but they fell into step together. The empty hall echoed their silence until they made it out to one of the balconies on their floor.

From their position they could see the forbidden forest, a group of crows flew away in a hurry, and then there was more silence to follow. Clytemnestra leaned to the stone, the cold making her shiver. She felt Lily’s hand on her back but did not react to it. She rubbed gentle circles and came closer to her.

It took her a second to gather her courage to talk. “My father passed away this summer, I haven’t told anyone yet. Only Alice knows.”

She turned to face Lily, a sad smile on her lips, and much understanding in her eyes. “I am sorry for your loss.”

Lily had mist in her eyes, but she did not cry. “I spent most of my summer with Alice and when I got my mother’s message, I rushed back but I was too late. Mom was devastated and Petunia, my sister, she blames me. She doesn’t speak to me anymore. She says I abandoned our family for a bunch of freaks and that dad died asking for me. I don’t know what to believe, I feel so guilty.”

Clytemnestra pulled Lily into a hug. “Grief is a beast my dear. Thank you for telling me.”

“I don’t know why I never told anyone else yet.” She sighed, still hugging her. “I guess it makes it somehow less real, especially since my muggle life and Hogwarts is so far apart. I really miss my dad.”

“I really miss my dads too.”

They stayed on the balcony for a while longer and watched the scenery below. Neither of them made an attempt to converse any longer. Lily said all she wished to say, and Clytemnestra heard all that was meant to be. To ask anything more than that would be a breach of some unspoken deal.

Eventually it was Alice who came for them, she wrapped an arm around each girl’s waist and pulled them into a hug so tight that Clytemnestra could not escape, not that she even attempted such a thing. These days she leaped at every chance to be touched, she was starved of it.

Upon their return they found the boys studying quietly in the centre. Sirius was laying down, reading his book, and taking notes as he went along. Remus had red and puffy eyes; his nose buried into his essay and he did not look at the girls as they entered. Peter wrote in haste into a leather-bound book which she assumed to be a journal of sorts. James on the other hand was practicing his transfiguration from a list of spells, presumably the NEWT questions of the year before.

Clytemnestra eased herself next to Remus and bumped shoulders with him. “I am sorry about all that, now show me your essay please?”

Remus smiled at her as he handed her the parchment. “I haven’t written the conclusion yet, I am missing something but not sure what. It’s frustrating as fuck.”

She chuckled softly and started to read with a magical marking quill at hand. The red ink would disappear as the mistakes got corrected or with the erasing spell. She caught a few grammatical errors, and made suggestions on a few points he could add, but mostly he had an excellent essay. “Few dots need connecting, and perhaps a bridge here would help you do just that. Then take this,” she was pointing to few things on the parchment as she spoke about her points, “and with it use it for your conclusion so it will follow a more logical flow.”

He took back his essay and skimmed over the markings before commenting again. “Thank you for doing this, I fucking hate potions and…” He growled in his frustration and went back to scribbling.

Surprisingly, Sirius also asked that she take a look at his essay, and Clytemnestra was more than happy to oblige as the title alone seemed very interesting. “You know a lot more than you let on at our little tutoring sessions, I didn’t think you held any interest in blood potions.”

He looked at her bashfully and grinned. “I plan to be an auror don’t you know.” He seemed very proud of that fact, as if that would personally show his parents.

Clytemnestra chuckled, “Well Mister Auror Man, you impressed me.” She flagged only a few grammar issues, and recommended he switch up the placement of a few things to create a better flow. Overall, however, she thought Sirius had a very impressive essay.

His chest puffed up, he looked pleased with himself. “Thank you.” He took back his parchment and started to go over the markings.

From then on, she stayed between the pair of them, focusing on her studies with the occasional help here and there. She still felt heavy in the chest, and she still found it hard not to stare daggers into Peter, but she was clever enough to wait and she was patient enough to make his death a truly long one. Clytemnestra never took particular pleasure in death, but she never found a particular sadness in it either but something within her told her that this one would be different to her.

She looked up from her essay and her eyes met James’, he smiled at her much like Harry.

Forever she’d be an orphan, but she’d make sure this time around only the wicked laid dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to please leave a review if you enjoyed the chapter!

**Author's Note:**

> Remember to leave reviews! I appreciate all kinds of feedback and its always good to know what my readers think! If you want to find me and chat I am on tumbl as sxrvivc.tumblr.com


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